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National Education Day: Date, Historical Journey, Significance

PWOnlyIAS November 10, 2023 06:48 2699 0

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Context: November 11 every year is celebrated as National Education Day.

National Education Day: Date, Historical Journey, Significance

National Education Day: Honoring Maulana Azad’s Legacy and Promoting Literacy

  • Origin: National Education Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
    • The decision to celebrate 11th November as ‘National Education Day’ was announced on 11th September, 2008.
    • The day celebrates the contributions of Maulana Azad to the field of education and educational institutions in India.

National Education Day

  • Aim: The National Education Day is used to raise awareness about the importance of literacy.
  • Theme: This year’s National Education Day 2023 theme will be “Education provided from the heart may revolutionize society“.
  • Significance of the Day
    • Importance of Literacy: National Education Day stresses the importance of literacy in the lives of individuals.
    • Honour Azad’s Contributions: The day also marks Maulana Azad’s contribution to laying the foundation for an independent Indian education system.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: Scholar, Freedom Fighter, and Architect of Indian Education

  • About: Maulana Abul Kalam was a scholar, activist and leader of the Congress party. After independence, he served as the Education Minister for eleven years.
  • Birth: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born on 11 November 1888 in Mecca, then a part of the Ottoman Empire.
  • Early Life: Azad was home-schooled and self-taught and had proficiency in many languages including Arabic, Bengali, Hindustani, Persian, and English.
  • Contributions to Indian Freedom Struggle:
    • Khilafat Movement: He was a leader of Khilafat movement and helped organize non-co-operation movement in 1919.
    • Congress President: Azad served as the President of Congress in 1923 and then from 1940 to 1945. 
    • Revolutionary Activities: Maulana Azad worked secretly to organize revolutionary activities and meetings during the Swadeshi Movement.
    • Critical Journalism: In 1912, Maulana Azad started a publication weekly namely “Al-Hilal” to attack the policies of the British Government.
      • His other publications such as Al-Balagh and Paigham were banned by the British for propagating revolutionary ideas. 
    • Salt Satyagraha: Azad organized and led a protest march to the Dharasana salt works in 1930 to protest the salt tax and restriction of its production and sale. 
  • Contributions to Education in India:
    • Jamia Milia Islamia University: Azad was one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia University and was instrumental in shifting the campus of the university from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1934.
    • University Grants Commission (UGC): Azad had a major role to play in the setting up of University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1953.
    • Universal Education: Maulana Azad promoted universal primary education, female education, free compulsory education for all children under the age of 14, vocational training, and technical education.
    • Other Support: He played a significant role in setting up of the IISc and School of Architecture and Planning, Sangeet Natak Akademi (1953), Sahitya Akademi (1954) and Lalit Kala Akademi (1954).
  • Literature: Maulana Azad wrote many books such as India Wins Freedom and Ghubar-e-Khatir.
  • Cultural Outreach: Maulana Azad founded the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, for promoting India’s global cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their people.
  • Honour: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was bestowed with India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously in 1992.

Educational Empowerment: Government Schemes Driving Access and Quality

  • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan: The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan scheme was introduced in 2001 for providing universal access to elementary education in the country.
    • The field will work towards achieving enrolment increase, admission Management, improving the quality of education, and reducing gender and social discrimination in education. 
    • There are also provisions for construction of new schools, additional classrooms, toilets, and drinking water facilities, as well as the appointment of additional teachers.
  • Mid-day Meal Scheme: Introduced in 1995, this scheme seeks to provide free hot cooked meals to children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government-aided, and local body schools.
    • With provision of mid-day meals, the scheme aims to improve enrolment, retention, and attendance of children in schools, as well as to combat malnutrition among children.
  • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA): Introduced in 2009, the scheme seeks to provide universal access to secondary education in the country, for children in the age group of 15-16 years. It also aims to enhance the quality of education.
    • The major objectives are to enhance the quality of secondary education and increase the total enrollment rate. 
  • Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan: It is an integrated scheme for school education extending support to States from pre-school to senior secondary level. 
    • It encompasses following schemes:
      • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)
      • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
      • Teacher Education (TE)
  • Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat (PBBB): Launched in 2014 as a sub-programme under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme, it seeks to improve children’s reading, writing, and mathematical skills studying in government primary schools. 
    • Various facilities such as reading material for children, an ideal environment full of books and timely distribution of reading material are provided to children under the programme.
  • New India Literacy Programme: This centrally-sponsored scheme will cover a target of 5 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above. 
    • It consists of five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, (ii) Critical Life Skills, (iii) Vocational Skills Development, (iv) Basic Education and (v) Continuing Education.

Conclusion:

The National Education Day will not only celebrate the contributions of Maulana Azad to the field of education, but will also promote the education environment in the country.

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National Education Day FAQs

November 11 every year is celebrated as National Education Day.

National Education Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of India's first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a scholar, activist and leader of the Congress party. After independence, he served as the Education Minister.

Maulana Azad wrote many books such as India Wins Freedom and Ghubar-e-Khatir.

Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan, Mid-day Meal Scheme, Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, New India Literacy programme etc are some of the famous schemes related to education in India.

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