Madan Mohan Malaviya

Madan Mohan Malaviya () (25 December 1861 — 12 November 1946) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and activist notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress three times and the founder of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. He was addressed as ''Pandit'', a title of respect.

Malaviya strove to promote modern education among Indians and co-founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) at Varanasi in 1916, which was created under the 1915 BHU Act. It is the largest residential university in Asia and one of the largest in the world, with over 40,000 students across arts, commerce, sciences, engineering, linguistic, ritual, medicine, agriculture, performing arts, law, management, and technology disciplines from all over the world. He was the vice chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University from 1919 to 1938.

Malaviya was one of the founders of the Bharat Scouts and Guides. He founded a highly influential English newspaper, ''The Leader,'' in 1919, published from Allahabad. He was also the chairman of ''Hindustan Times'' from 1924 to 1946. His efforts resulted in the launch of its Hindi edition named ''Hindustan Dainik'' in 1936.

Malaviya was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian distinction, on 24 December 2014, a day before what would have been his 153rd birthday. Provided by Wikipedia