National Education Day 11th Nov-2020 (Birthday Celebration of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad)

 

CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL EDUCATION DAY 2020

National Education Day is an annual observance in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, who served from 15 August 1947 until 2 February 1958. National Education Day of India is celebrated on 11 November every year.

"I am part of the indivisible unity that is Indian nationality" - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

        Freedom fighter and India's first education minister, Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad, was born on November 11, 1888. On his 128th birth anniversary, here are some interesting facts about the Indian scholar, freedom fighter, poet, journalist and enigmatic educator:

• Azad's real name was Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin who eventually became known as Maulana Azad

• He had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen name

• Azad started composing poetry in Urdu language at a very young age. He also wrote treatises on religion and philosophy

• He rose to prominence through his work as a journalist, publishing works critical of the British Raj and espousing the causes of Indian nationalism

• Azad became the youngest person to serve as the President of the Indian National Congress at the age of 35 in 1923

• Azad became the leader of the 'Khilafat Movement' (1919-26), during which, he came into close contact with the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi

• During this period, Azad became an enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi's ideas of non-violent civil disobedience and worked to organise the non-cooperation movement in protest of the 1919 Rowlatt Acts
  

• Azad became the most prominent Muslim leader to oppose the creation of Pakistan

• He became the first Minister of Education in independent India

• His birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Education Day in India

• In 1992, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.