Gadkari salutes Maulana Azad on National Education Day
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari paid homage to Bharat Ratna Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on his birth anniversary, observed as National Education Day on 11 November. Azad served as independent India's first Education Minister from 1947 to 1958. The day has been marked nationally since 2008.
Key Takeaways
Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on 11 November 2026 , National Education Day.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was independent India's first Education Minister, serving from 1947 to 1958 .
He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna , India's highest civilian honour.
National Education Day was instituted in 2008 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to mark Azad's birth anniversary.
Leaders across party lines routinely observe 11 November to honour Azad's foundational role in India's education system.
On a morning that belongs to every classroom in India, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Maulana Abul Kalam Azad — independent India's first Education Minister — on his birth anniversary, observed nationally as National Education Day on 11 November 2026.
Posting on X in Hindi, Gadkari wrote: 'स्वतंत्र भारत के पहले शिक्षा मंत्री, भारत रत्न मौलाना अबुल कलाम आज़ाद जी की जयंती पर उन्हें सादर नमन' — 'Respectful homage to Bharat Ratna Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of independent India, on his birth anniversary' — and extended warm wishes to all citizens on National Education Day.
Who was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad?
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as India's Education Minister from 1947 to 1958 — the longest tenure in that role in the country's history. A towering figure of the independence movement, he was instrumental in laying the foundations of India's post-independence educational architecture, championing scientific temper, universal access to learning, and the establishment of key institutions that endure to this day. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.Why 11 November is marked every year
The Ministry of Human Resource Development instituted National Education Day in 2008 to commemorate Azad's birth anniversary and to focus national attention on the role of education in development. Every 11 November since, schools, universities, and government bodies across India have held events in his memory — a tradition that cuts across party lines, with ministers and leaders from across the political spectrum joining in tribute. Gadkari's post, though ceremonial, reflects a wider practice among senior Union Cabinet members of publicly reaffirming the legacy of founding figures — signalling continuity with India's constitutional and educational heritage even from non-education portfolios. The nation's classrooms carry Azad's legacy forward. The question is how boldly the present will honour it.Point of View
Underscoring the broad consensus around his legacy as an architect of post-independence India's educational framework. That a minister from a road transport portfolio marks National Education Day signals how deeply Azad's commemoration has been institutionalised beyond the Ministry of Education itself. The gesture also arrives at a moment when debates around the National Education Policy 2020 and its implementation keep education reform in the national conversation. Azad's legacy thus functions as a shared national reference point even as contemporary education policy remains contested.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 11 November celebrated as National Education Day in India?
11 November is celebrated as National Education Day to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad , independent India's first Education Minister. The day was instituted in 2008 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Who was India's first Education Minister?
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was independent India's first Education Minister, serving in that role from 1947 to 1958 — the longest such tenure in the country's history.
What is Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's contribution to Indian education?
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad laid the foundations of India's post-independence educational system, promoted scientific temper and universal access to education, and helped establish key national institutions. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna .
When was National Education Day instituted in India?
National Education Day was instituted in 2008 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on 11 November .
What did Nitin Gadkari say on National Education Day 2026?
Nitin Gadkari paid tribute to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on his birth anniversary and extended warm wishes to all Indians on National Education Day, 11 November 2026 , posting in Hindi on X.
