This is an archive article published on November 10, 2019

Know why National Education Day is celebrated on November 11

National Education Day 2019: The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on September 11, 2008 announced, "The Ministry has decided to commemorate the birthday of this great son of India by recalling his contribution to the cause of education in India."

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Nov 11, 2020 11:26 AM IST

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National Education Day will be celebrated on November 11 to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Vice President Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

National Education Day 2019: To commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the nation celebrates the National Education Day on November 11. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on September 11, 2008, announced, “The Ministry has decided to commemorate the birthday of this great son of India by recalling his contribution to the cause of education in India.” Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin served as the first education minister of independent India from 1947 to 1958.

Azad advocated for the education of women, universal primary education, and compulsory education for all children upto the age of 14, vocational training and technical education. He firmly believed that primary education should be imparted in the mother-tongue.

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In 1949, in the Central Assembly, he emphasised the importance of imparting instruction in modern sciences and knowledge. He also said that no programme of national education can be appropriate if it does not give full consideration to the education and advancement of one-half of the society that is the women.

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A freedom fighter, he started a weekly journal in Urdu called Al-Hilal to criticise British Raj. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his contribution as an educationist and a freedom fighter.

Azad is credited for establishing most of the cultural academics including the Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, Sahitya Academy as well as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. The first IIT, IISc, School of Planning and Architecture and the University Grants Commission were established under his tenure.

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