National Education Day of India is celebrated every year on 11th
November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
the first education minister of independent India. This year it was 132nd
birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad. As first education minister of India, Azad had overseen establishment of
national education system with free primary education and modern institutions
of higher education. He is also credited with establishment of Indian
Institutes of Technology (IITs) and laid foundation of University Grants
Commission, an important institution to supervise and advance higher education
throughout the country.
National Education Day was instituted by Union Ministry of
Human Resource Development (Now known as Ministry of Education) in 2008
announced to commemorate the birthday Maulana Abul Kalam Azad for recalling his
contribution to cause of education in India. Its objective is to strengthen
educational institutions and to raise quality of education to greater heights.
It also seeks to remember Maulana Azad’s contribution in laying the foundations
of education system in an independent India as well as to evaluate our current
performance in this field.
He was born on 11 November 1888 and died on 22 February 1958.
He was senior Muslim leader of Indian National Congress(INC) during Indian
independence movement. He is commonly remembered as Maulana Azad (word Maulana
is honorific meaning ‘Our Master’) and he had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen
name. He was first Minister of Education of Independent India. He had played
important role in foundation of Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh in Uttar
Pradesh. He assisted in shifting campus of university from Aligarh to New Delhi
in 1934.
During his young age, he rose to prominence through his work as
journalist, publishing works critical of British Raj and espousing causes of
Indian nationalism. He became leader of Khilafat Movement, during which he came
into close contact with Mahatma Gandhi. He later became enthusiastic supporter
of Gandhi’s ideas of non-violent civil disobedience and worked to organize the
non-co-operation movement in protest of the 1919 Rowlatt Acts.
He was committed to Gandhi’s
ideals, including promoting Swadeshi (indigenous) products and cause of Swaraj
(Self-rule) for India. In 1923, at age of 35, he became youngest person to
serve as President of Indian National Congress. He was one of main organizers
of the Dharasana Satyagraha in 1931 and emerged as one of the most important
national leaders of the time, prominently leading causes of Hindu-Muslim unity
as well as espousing secularism and socialism. He served as Congress president
from 1940 to 1945, during which Quit India rebellion was launched. He also
worked for Hindu-Muslim unity through the Al-Hilal newspaper.
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***** Painting Competition (for class III to V )*****
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