Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)

Why in the news? : His 200th birth anniversary is being celebrated in the year 2025.
Introduction : He is known as the ‘Grand Old Man of India’. He was a great nationalist , educationist and the first Indian member of the British Parliament.
Born : September 4,1825, Bombay (now Mumbai).
Major Contributions and Achievements: In 1901, he wrote ‘The Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’, in which he proposed the theory of the ‘Drain of Wealth. In it, he explained how British rule was draining wealth from India to Britain. He played a key role in the establishment of the Indian National Congress and served as its president in three sessions (1886 : Calcutta; 1893 : Lahore; and 1906: Calcutta). In 1892, he became the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons. He also promoted education and social reforms in India.