• National Education Day: Why India Celebrates on 11 th November

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    National Education Day: Why India Celebrates on 11 th November

    He played an important role in establishing Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), besides helping in the development of India’s Institute of Science at Bangalore…




    Digital Desk: Celebrated annually on 11 November, National Education Day marks the birthday of the first education minister of independent India and a true educationist, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad. Azad was born on November 11, 1888, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to his father, Maulana Khairuddin, and kindled his inspiration from the plant of modern thoughts provided by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan of India. Azad, as a young man, supported social reforms by bringing out an Urdu newspaper ‘Al Hilal’ based in Calcutta, and this was closed down by the British.



     
    Azad had briefly associated with the Khilafat movement, though he became the President of the All-India Khilafat Committee. He further rose to the leadership position of the Indian National Congress and was leading the congress sessions in 1923 and 1940. Faqir of Ichak, a national figure, was the Congress candidate elected to the Constituent Assembly from the United Provinces; he actively participated in framing the constitution by shaping discussions on the question of national language and education.





     
    Education Minister of independent India’s first education minister, Azad, contributed a lot in the field of education; he worked till his death in 1958. During his period, key institutions such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, the first IIT, etc. were  etc. were set up. He played an important role in establishing Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), besides helping in the development of India’s Institute of Science at Bangalore and the Technology Faculty of Delhi University.





     



    The first education minister focused on providing education to the rural poor and girls in post-independence India. His priorities also included promoting adult
    literacy , and ensuring free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14.
     





    To commemorate his services, the government of India decided to celebrate 11th November as National Education Day in 2008. Azad was honored with Bharat Ratna after he died in 1992 in recognition of his service. This day has now become symbolic of his efforts to provide free and quality education for every Indian for his entire lifetime.