Good Governance Day in India Date in the current year: December 25, 2024

December 25 is the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the eleventh Prime Minister of India who ruled the country for six years. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924. His political career began in the early 1940s. In 1977, he joined the newly formed Janata Party, that was transformed into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. Vajpayee became the first president of the BJP.

In 1996, the BJP won the parliamentary elections, and Vajpayee became the Prime Minister. He served in three non-consecutive terms (in May 1996, in 1998–1999, and from 1999 to 2004). Vajpayee became the first Prime Minister of India outside the Indian National Congress to serve a full term.

On his eightieth birthday, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was honored with the Bharat Ratna award, the highest civilian award of India, and his birth anniversary was designated as Good Governance Fay. Good Governance Day is a working day for the government. The observance has been criticized by the Indian National Congress, the principal opposition party, because it coincides with Christmas.