National Education Day 2022: History, significance, other details you must know

National Education Day is celebrated on November 11 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was an educationist and played a key role in developing the education system in independent India.

Deciding to commemorate the birthday of Azad by recalling his contribution to the cause of education in India, the Ministry of Human Resource Development on September 11, 2008,announced that his birth anniversary will be celebrated National Education Day.

Azad has been well known to promote research in learning and literature and set up the three academies to develop the fine arts.

He is also credited to kickstart the work on compilation of technical terms in Hindi on a large scale.

During his tenure as the Education Minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad set up the University Grants Commission, the All India Council for Technical education, the Kharagpur Institute of Higher Education, the University Education Commission and the Secondary Education Commission.

He also played a major role for the establishment of Jamia Millia Islamia and IIT Kharagpur.

Azad had been advocating for education for women and free and compulsory primary education for children up to the age of 14.

He passed away on February 22, 1958.