National Education Day: 11th November

National Education Day is observed every year in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who was the first Education Minister of independent India. He served as Education Minister of independent India from August 15, 1947 to February 2, 1958. He was a great freedom fighter, an eminent educationist and the first Education Minister of India.

National Education Day is being celebrated today across all the schools and colleges in the country. To mark the occasion, various competitions are being organised.

All the schools affiliated to the CBSE (Central Board Of Secondary Education) are celebrating this day with a grandeur. These schools are organising seminars, symposia, essay-writing, elocution competitions, workshops and rallies on the importance of literacy and nation's commitment to all aspects of education.

The theme of the event is: "Sanitation and Inclusion in school"

The objective of the event is to acknowledge and honour a teacher and a student who have taken extra steps to connect with people and have done deeds to help the socially or economically underprivileged and for sanitation.

The events focuses of areas to bring a positive impact on the society through:

• Work done for the sanitation in and around school
• Work done for the social inclusion of children with special needs
• Addressing environmental issues
• Supporting National Integration
• Creating awareness about need of hygiene or about the needs of special children
• Exemplary work for addressing on issues related to Sanitation or Inclusion

Contributions of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to Education:

• As the first Minister of Education of independent India, he emphasised on educating the rural poor and girls.
• He was the Chairman of the Central Advisory Board of Education.
• He gave importance to adult literacy, universal primary education, free and compulsory education for all children upto the age of 14.
• Also, girls education and diversification of secondary education and vocational training were given thrust during his term.
• He also oversaw the now Department of education of the University of Delhi which is a research centre of solving new educational problems of the country.
• During his term, the Ministry of Education established the first Indian Institute of Technology in 1951.
• Also was established the University Grants Commission in 1953.
• He laid emphasis on the development of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Faculty of Technology of the Delhi University.
• He foresaw a great future in the IITs for India.