Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a prominent Indian leader during British rule. He worked tirelessly to eradicate the social and economic inequalities faced by Dalits in India and played an instrumental role in abolition of untouchability and reservation for dalits in education and employment. Though he is widely recognized for his pivotal role in championing the cause of Dalit rights, his contributions spanned a diverse range of issues:

Contribution to women’s cause

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wrote extensively on women’s oppression in his newspapers ‘Mook Nayak’ and ‘Bahishkrit Bharat’.
• He advocated family planning measures for women. In 1942, while serving as a labour minister of the executive council of governor-general, he introduced a Maternity Benefit Bill for women working in mines
• After independence, he introduced the Hindu Code Bill of 1949, which dealt with women’s marriage, adoption, property rights etc.
• He supported ‘equal pay for equal work’ irrespective of gender and also played an important role in legalising voting rights for women in independent India.

Contribution to Economics

• Dr. Ambedkar was an economist by training. Some of his prominent writings in the field of economics include, The Problem of Rupee: Its Origin and Solution; The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India; and Administration and Finance of the East India Company.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was conceptualised in accordance with the guidelines presented by Dr. Ambedkar to the Hilton Young Commission (also known as Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance) based on his book, The Problem of the Rupee – Its Origin and Its Solution.
• Dr. Ambedkar, while being a Law Minister, also established the Finance Commission in 1951.

Drafting of Indian Constitution:

• As the Chairman of the constitution drafting committee in 1947, he played a key role in framing the Indian constitution and is recognised as the “Father of Indian Constitution”.
• His efforts ensured that the Constitution of India became one of the most comprehensive and progressive documents in the world.

Political Contributions:

• Dr. Ambedkar formed the Independent Labour Party in 1936, which won 15 seats in the Bombay Legislative Assembly elections.
• In July 1942, the Viceroy appointed Dr. Ambedkar as the Labour Minister in the Executive Council. During his tenure, he brought several labour reforms including paid holidays and restrictions over daily and weekly working hours.
• He served as the Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of independent India and later remained a Member of Parliament till 1956.
• He was one of the founders of Employment Exchanges in India. He played a vital role in the establishment of the National Power Grid System, Central Water Irrigation, Navigation Commission, Damodar Valley Project, Hirakud Dam Project and Sone River Project.

Revival of Buddhism in India: Though the Buddhist revival movement began in India in May 1891 with the founding of Mahabodi Society in Calcutta, the real impetus to this movement was provided by Dr. Ambedkar who adopted Buddhism in 1956 resulting in an unprecedented wave of conversion. As per census records, the population of the Buddhist community rose from 1,80,823, in 1951 to 32,50,227 in 1961. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s contributions to India’s socio-economic and political landscape were wide- ranging and encompassed issues that went beyond the Dalit rights. He was a visionary leader who worked tirelessly to promote social justice, equality, and human rights.