National Education Day is observed every year on 11th November to commemorate the Birthday of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was the First education minister of India.
This day is important because it also focuses on the contribution of Azad to the educational system of the country and reminds the people of this country about the importance of studying for a better future for the country. The celebration not only honors him but also helps to think about what education contributes to creative, innovative people who contribute to the development of the country.
The Indian government formally announced November 11 as National Education Day in September 2008 to honor Azad’s contributions to education in India. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, born on November 11, 1888, was not only an educationist and, a freedom fighter, but he was a great leader of the Indian National Congress. He was also the minister of education, during whose time some of the leading educational organizations and programs were founded and are now still active in India.
As a thinker, Azad played a central role in establishing organizations like the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, among others. During his tenure, various civil and academic organizations were set up like CSIR, which was made to foster industrial and scientific research in India; Sahitya Academy and Lalit Kala Academy, which promotes Indian art and culture; Sangeet Natak Academy, designed to encourage music and dramatic arts, and ICCR which aims to spread India’s culture around the world.
It also gives the nation a vantage opportunity to call for the observation of education as enshrined and enforced in our constitution asserting that everyone has a right to education. On the day, schools across the country hold programs in the form of debates, discussions, cultural shows, and programs to commemorate the teachings and the ideology of Azad. This day allows the students to contribute to the discourse on how education will address the future of the nation.
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