The man who laid the foundation of Education and Culture in India
11th November, the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is celebrated as National Education Day, to show our gratitude towards him. Various campaigns and programs are organized in India on this day to spread awareness about education and its role in advancing our society so that people can become aware and understand the meaning of education.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) decided to celebrate every year November 11 as National Education Day and announced it on September 11, 2008. On this day, various programs and campaigns are organized to pay homage to Maulana Abul Kalam.
Maulana Sayyid Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad is his full name. His first teacher was his father but later he was home schooled by a very famous teacher in his area. Azad studied Arabic and Persian at first and then studied philosophy, geometry, mathematics, and algebra, later learned English, world history, and politics all by himself.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad became the first Education Minister of India right after India got Independence and eventually established the University Grants Commission (UGC). He worked towards establishing higher educational institutions and for free education in our country.
A freedom fighter, people also know him as a warrior with a pen. Azad met two of Bengal’s leading revolutionaries Arvind Ghosh and Shri Shyam Sundar Chakraborty and joined the revolutionary movement against British rule. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad set up secret revolutionary centers throughout North India and Bombay within two years.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad started a weekly Urdu newspaper called ‘Al-Hilal’ in 1912 to increase the feeling of patriotism among Muslims. He rendered his services to the country from 1947 to 1958 and became the First Minister of Education in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. He died due to a heart attack on 22nd February 1958. He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his contribution as a freedom fighter and educationist.
A great man who gave India a vision and established universities and schools with the goal of providing free education. Set up the University Grants Commission (UGC), IISc, and School of Architecture and Planning. Even the modern-day IITs are the brainchild of Mulana Abul Kalam. He also founded the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Sahitya Akademi, and Lalit Kala Akademi to promote culture in the country.
We thank him for his immense contribution to setting up a solid foundation for education and culture building.
