Indus Valley Times

JAJPUR,NOV. 11;  Sapath Organization  Celebrate National Eduction day at Badachana in Jajpur On Thursday. Organization  virtually felicitated Columnist Er Taraprasad Mishra . On this occasion Er Mishra Said  India marks National Education Day on November 11 to memorialize the birthday of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Minister for Education in India. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s exemplary contributions to the field of education and institution building paved the way for the country’s modern system. Reputed as the main architect of education, he served as India’s first Vice President as well as the first education Minister from 1947 to 1958. Now, all educational institutions in the country mark the day with seminars, essay-writing, workshops and rallies with slogans on the importance of literacy and India’s commitment to education. In September of 2008, India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development declared the birthday of ‘the great son of India’  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad  to be nationally recognized as Education Day. The day is also seen as an occasion to remember Abul Kalam’s contribution in laying the foundations of the education system in an independent India and evaluating and improving the country’s current performance in the field. After its independence in 1947, India struggled to completely revamp and stabilize its institutions and sectors. Recognizing that education would be crucial for nation-building, the leaders of the country shifted their focus towards education. Abul Kalam, in particular, served as the flag bearer for this cause. Speaking in 1948 at All India Education, he highlighted the importance of this birthright of every person to receive basic education necessary for their well being, without foregoing their duties as a citizen. As a freedom fighter and academician, Abul Kalam was the best fit for the role of Education Minister for independent India. Illiteracy was a major hurdle for the development of the country, which had already struggled and suffered through years of exploitation prior to it gaining status as a separate nation. Understanding the integral role played by a healthy education system for the development of the country, as Chairman of the Central Advisory Board of Education, Maulana Abul Kalam was the driving force towards the eradication of illiteracy. He emphasised heavily on elementary education and propagated the expansion of secondary education, especially for girls. But perhaps his largest contribution is the Indian Institutes of Technology. Under his leadership, the first IIT was inaugurated in 1951. Abul Kalam truly believed in the potential of establishing IITs for the progression of research and technological advancement in India. True enough, today IITs have created a niche for themselves. Whether nationally or internationally, IITs are looked as epitome of educational excellence. It is hence befitting to honour the memory of the man behind India’s educational might by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day every year Said Er Mishra.