New Delhi, Aug 20: Nation will celebrate ''Rajiv Gandhi Akshaya Urja Diwas'' today.

This effective and far-reaching mass awareness campaign about renewable energy is organised every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi as ''Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas'' on August 20 every year since 2004 all over the country.

The prime function will take place at Panchkula in Haryana this year. It is being organised under the sponsorship of Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA), Government of Haryana.

The main attraction is a rally of battery-operated vehicles and sky-diving. Battery operated vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four wheelers, developed and manufactured in India will participate in the rally.

This is going to be the first of its kind in India and will have a unique impact in clean and green city.

A Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Half Marathon Race will be organised where runners and athletes as well as defence personnel from all over the country will join.

This half marathon will be of 21 km distance for men and women. Handsome prizes have been announced for first three winners to the tune of Rs. 1,00,000/-, 75,000/- and 51,000/-, in mens and womens category, respectively.

More than 15000 children from schools of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula will participate in the various activities and will take renewable energy pledge along with marathon runners.

A sky diving show has also been planned at this occasion. An exhibition on renewable energy will be inaugurated. Manufactures of renewable energy based systems and devices from all over India will be displayed in this exhibition.

Mass rallies, formation of human chains, essay, quiz, slogan-writing and painting competitions and debates, seminars and group discussions on renewable energy will be organised at state, district and block and taluka levels through out the country.

Thousands of school children will participate in these activities, which will help to create the much-needed awareness on the use of renewable energy systems and devices in our daily life. They will carry the message for adopting and promoting renewable energy.

The Ministry has initiated ''Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas'' since 2004. The first function was organised at New Delhi in 2004 and 2005 followed by at Nagpur in 2006 and at Hyderabad in 2007. (ANI)