Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the nation's first minister of education in independent India, is remembered on National Education Day. Azad was born on November 11, 1888.
How is National Education Day celebrated in India?
Numerous initiatives and programmes are held on this day to raise awareness of education. Educational institutions observe the day by hosting workshops, symposia, essay competitions, and elocution contests.
Who was Maulana Abul Azad Kalam?
Maulana Abul Kalam was a Congress Party leader, activist, and scholar. For eleven years, he was the minister of education. Azad served as the Khilafat Movement's leader and assisted in organising the non-cooperation movement in 1919 as a liberation fighter. Azad adhered to the Gandhian way of thinking. Additionally, he presided over the Congress party from 1940 to 1945 and again in 1923 as its president. Maulana is the author of numerous novels, including Ghubar-e-Khatir and India Wins Freedom.
Contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam to India’s education
He contributed to the 1934 move of the university's campus from Aligarh to New Delhi as one of the founding members of the Jamia Millia Islamia in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Maulana Abul Kalam, a fervent supporter of high-quality education, assisted in the founding of the University Grants Commission (UGC) on December 28, 1953. He is recognised with founding the Indian Institutes of Technology while serving as the minister of education (IIT). To advance education and culture in the nation, he also contributed to the founding of IISc, the School of Architecture and Planning, Sangeet Natak Akademi (1953), Sahitya Akademi (1954), and Lalit Kala Akademi (1954).
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) voted to designate November 11 of each year as National Education Day on September 11, 2008. Students from underrepresented groups can also apply for the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship, which provides financial support for M Phil and PhD studies.
What did Maulana Abul Kalam Azad think about education?
Because of his strong belief in education, Maulana saw schools as the incubators for the future's brightest minds.
Even more so, he emphasised the importance of educating girls and the need for education for all women in our country in order to ensure their civic rights. He even introduced the kids to technical education and practical training.
Maulana had a strong passion for education and aspired to make India a country of brilliant brains and high educational standards. He placed a high value on education and worked to guarantee that a common national standard was followed nationwide.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad stated on January 16, 1948, "We must never forget that it is every person's birthright to obtain at least the minimum education without which he cannot fully fulfill his duty as a citizen."
Maulana went on to make primary education a free civic obligation for children up to the age of 14 after being appointed India's first Minister of Education in 1947.
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