Every year, National Education Day is celebrated on November 11 marking the birth anniversary of India’s first education minister Shri Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Usually, the main theme of the day is ‘education’, but the Ministry of Education tries to set aside different focus areas every year, this year’s theme being “Changing the course and transforming education”.
Our first education minister Shri Maulana Abul Kamal Azad served from August 15, 1947 till February 2, 1958 emphasising on educating the rural poor and girls.
During his tenure he worked hard towards adult literacy, universal primary education, free and compulsory for all children up to 14 years.
Some of the most important educational institutions of India were established during his service from Central Institute of Education, Delhi, which is now the Department of Education of the University of Delhi, the first Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Kharagpur in 1951 and University Grants Commission in 1953.
He also played a key role in the development of the Indian Institute of Science, IISc Bangalore and the Faculty of Technology of the Delhi University.