Police
National Education Day in India is celebrated on 11 November, the birth anniversary of:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Detailed Solution
National Education Day is celebrated in India every year on 11 November, the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India's first Education Minister.
About National Education Day:
- It was declared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of Education) in September 2008 and has been observed since 11 November 2008.
- It honours Azad's contributions to building India's education system.
About Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958):
He was born on 11 November 1888 in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). His family later moved to Calcutta.
His real name was Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin; "Azad" ("free") was his pen name.
He was a scholar, journalist and freedom fighter. He started the Urdu weekly "Al-Hilal" in 1912 and later "Al-Balagh", which were banned by the British.
He was a leader of the Khilafat Movement and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
He was the youngest President of the Indian National Congress (special session in Delhi, 1923, at the age of 35). He was President again from 1940 to 1946, during the Quit India Movement and the negotiations for independence.
He strongly opposed the Partition of India and supported Hindu-Muslim unity.
As Education Minister (1947-1958):
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) was set up in 1953 (a statutory body from 1956).
- The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was established at Kharagpur in 1951.
- The Sangeet Natak Akademi (1953), the Sahitya Akademi (1954) and the Lalit Kala Akademi (1954) were founded.
- He promoted free and compulsory primary education, adult education and the education of girls.
- His book "India Wins Freedom" (1959) is his account of the freedom struggle.
- He received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992.
Other education days:
Teachers' Day: 5 September (Dr. S. Radhakrishnan's birthday).
International Literacy Day: 8 September.
Why not the other options?
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan's birthday is Teachers' Day (5 September).
Savitribai Phule was India's first woman teacher; her birthday is 3 January.
Dr. Zakir Husain was the third President of India and co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia.
Quick tip
Remember: National Education Day = 11 November (Maulana Azad, first Education Minister; since 2008); UGC 1953; IIT Kharagpur 1951; "India Wins Freedom"; Teachers' Day = 5 September.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Important Days & Dates Questions
View all ›- Q1.National Youth Day (12 January) is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of:
- Q2.The 'Beating Retreat' ceremony, held at Vijay Chowk on 29 January, officially denotes the end of:
- Q3.National Consumer Day is celebrated in India on:
- Q4.World Water Day is celebrated every year on:
- Q5.The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Important Days & Dates — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Important Days & Dates, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers national and international days observed through the year, such as National Youth Day, World Environment Day and International Yoga Day, along with the themes announced for them and the events or people they commemorate. Questions ask for the date of a day, the day observed on a given date, or the person it honours (for example, National Sports Day on 29 August marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand). Revise days month by month in a calendar format. Themes change every year, so learn the current year's themes from current affairs. Practise the important days questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.