National Education Day 2024-25 Date, history, importance and celebration

India has a robust education system and the credit of laying the foundation of this system goes to some of the eminent personalities of the country. One such person was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad , the first Vice-President and the first Education Minister of India. The structure of Indian education saw many remarkable developments during the tenure of Maulana Azad’s ministry from 1947 to 1958. The introduction of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the UGC board and the AICTE are among some of the established names that were developed during his tenure.

In 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development in India announced the celebration of National Education Day to honor the significant contributions of Maulana Azad in the field of education in India. Let us learn about the background and significance of National Education Day in India  in detail.

Background of National Education Day

As already discussed above, the idea of conceiving the National Education Day was to honor the exemplary role of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad for founding and establishing a firm base for education in the country and to work towards eradicating illiteracy from India. Hence, in the month of September 2008  the Human Resource Development Ministry of India declared November 11 as National Education Day to mark the birth centenary of this ‘great son of India’.

Maulana Azad was a freedom fighter and academician who realized that illiteracy was the primary hurdle in the way of development of a country and thus worked as a driving force towards its eradication. To achieve his vision, Maulana Azad established several institutions such as the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the University of Calcutta, and the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) and so on.

Among the many other contributions of Maulana Azad, the establishment of IITs or Indian Institute of Technology was a major one with the first IIT being inaugurated in 1951. IITs, in the present time, are regarded as epitome of excellence in technical education not only in India but across the globe. Hence, indeed it is befitting to credit India’s education system in the memory of this great leader by commemorating his birth anniversary every year as the National Education Day.

Theme of National Education Day 

“Changing Course, Transforming Education” is the National Education Day theme 2022-23.  This is the theme of this year’s countrywide Education day celebrations in India. The theme emphasizes on a need to transform the education system in the country so that it can be adapted as per the current need of the time.

To celebrate the event, various programs are organized across the country in various educational institutions. Among the several events, National Education Day slogan writing competition and numerous other competitions are held in schools and colleges throughout the country.

Besides participating in events, one can also carry on other activities to celebrate National Education Day 2022–23 India like visiting an educational campus, learning about new and latest updates in the field of education and research, or contributing towards eliminating illiteracy. Additionally, spreading awareness about essential financial literacy topics such as health insurance and term insurance can also be a meaningful way to empower individuals and promote overall well-being through education.

Interesting Facts About India’s Education System

• After China, India has the second-largest school system in the world.
• In India children between the age group of 6 and 14 years have the right to free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act of the constitution.
• Despite numerous hurdles, children in rural parts of the country travel far and wide to attend school.
• It is surprising to know that 1 in every 40 schools in the country run under open spaces or temporary buildings.