National Education Day 2018: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's Birth Anniversary Celebrated in Schools Today

National Education Day is celebrated on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter and India’s first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

The former minister was an acclaimed poet, philosopher and was a masterful orator. He was well versed in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and Hindi. A staunch advocate of universal primary education for all children up to the age of 14, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also supported women’s education.

He is also credited for establishing prestigious cultural and academies such as the Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy and Sahitya Academy. Besides this, the University Grants Commission was also formed during his tenure. Prestigious higher education institutions such as the IITs, IISc and School of Architecture and Planning were also set up during his term.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had meanwhile, directed all educational institutions to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and University Grants Commission (UGC) asked the institutions to organise competitions, seminars, workshops on the importance of education.