National Education Day 2022: Understand its history, significance, and more

National Education Day 2022 is being celebrated all across India today, November 11, to commemorate the birthday of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who served as India's first Minister of Education between 1947 to 1958.

National Education Day 2022, which is celebrated to honor Azad's contribution to the Indian education system, goes by the theme "Changing Course, Transforming Education."

The history of National Education Day 2022

The Ministry of Human Resources, on November 11, 2008, announced the day as National Education Day as a way to celebrate the achievements of Abul Kalam Azad.

Azad, who was an advocate of the modern education system which gave equal rights to men and women, helped the Ministry of Education to establish the first Indian Institute of Technology, also known as IIT, in 1951, which was followed by the formation of University Grants Commission (UGC).

Azad also played a part in establishing the central institution of Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) and India's national-level council under the department of higher education, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Significance of National Education Day 2022, why is it celebrated

"The Ministry has decided to commemorate the birthday of this great son of India by recalling his contribution to the cause of education in India. November 11 from 2008 onwards, will be celebrated as the National Education Day, without declaring it a holiday, every year," the HRD ministry had announced in 2008.

The day is celebrated annually across India, through which awareness is spread about the importance of education. Seminars, essay writing activities, debates, and much more are organised in schools and colleges in the country.