New Delhi: On the occasion of National Education Day (November 11), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders paid tribute to India’s first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The day marks the 134th birthday of India’s first education minister.
Sharing two photographs of the leader with the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan respectively, PM Modi wrote Azad is widely admired for his scholarly nature and intellectual prowess. “He remained at the forefront of our freedom movement, working closely with other leading lights. He was also passionate about education.”
Congress ex-president Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Remembering the great freedom fighter, scholar and India’s first Education Minister, Bharat Ratna, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, on his birth anniversary today.”
Dharmendra Pradhan also paid homage on this occasion and wrote “He (Azad) will be remembered for his invaluable role in India’s freedom struggle and for his contributions towards our education sector.”
Sharing an inspiring quote by Azad, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote, “The contribution of Maulana Azad in nation building is ever inspiring” and paid his floral tributes.
National Education Day is celebrated annually on November 11 on the birth anniversary of India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. A scholar and educationist, Maulana Azad was a key architect of the education system of independent India. During his tenure, the country got top education regulatory bodies – All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC).