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.

• 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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