First Education Minister of India, Who was? – After India’s independence, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad served as the first education minister of India. In this regard, His birthday, the 11th of November is celebrated as “National Education Day”. Maulana Azad was a multifaceted individual, an advocate for education, a famous freedom fighter, a politician and a journalist.
Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
| Full Name | Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad (Maulana Azad) |
| Birth Date | 11th November 1888 |
| Birth Place | Mecca, Hejaz (Saudi Arabia) |
| Died | 22 February 1958 at Delhi, India |
Early Life
Azad started his journey as a Journalist. In 1905, he joined the revolutionary activities and met the prominent Hindu revolutionarys Aurobindo Ghosh and Shyam Sundar Chakravarty. In 1908, he went to Turkey, Syria, France and Egypt.
Maulana Azad as 1st Education Minister of India
Maulana Azad served as the first education minister of India from 1947 to 1958, and started the following reforms:
- Free and compulsory primary education for all children up to the age of 14.
- In 1935, Maulana Azad formed the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and founded the IITs, IISc and the School of Planning and Architecture.
Maulana Azad – List of Books
- Ghubar-e-Khatir
- Tazkirah
- India Wins Freedom
- Tarjuman Al-Quran
Maulana Azad – Awards
Maulana Azad was conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1992.
Maulana Azad – List of Colleges named after Maulana Azad
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal
- Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
- Maulana Azad Kalam Azad College of Pharmacy, Raipur
- Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad
- The Maulana Azad Centre for Elementary and Social Education (MACESE Delhi University).
- Maulana Azad Kalam Azad University of Technology, Kolkata
- Maulana Azad College of Arts- Science & Commerce
- The Maulana Azad Library
- Maulana Azad Institute of Professional Studies, Ujjain.
List of Former Educational Ministers from 1947 to 2023
| S. No. | Educational Minister | Period |
| 1. | Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad | 1947- 1958 |
| 2. | Dr. K.L. Shrimali | 1958- 1963 |
| 3. | Shri Humaun Kabir | September 1963- November 1963 |
| 4. | Shri M.C. Chagla | 1963- 1966 |
| 5. | Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | November 1966- March 1967 |
| 6. | Dr. Triguna Sen | 1967- 1969 |
| 7. | Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao | 1969- 1971 |
| 8. | Shri Siddhartha Shankar Ray | 1971- 1972 |
| 9. | Prof. S. Nurul Hassan | 1972- 1977 |
| 10. | Prof. Pratap Chandra Chunder | 1977- 1979 |
| 11. | Dr. Karan Singh | 1979- 1980 |
| 12. | Shri B. Shankaranand | January 1980- October 1980 |
| 13. | Shri S.B. Chavan | 1980- 1981 |
| 14. | Smt. Sheila Kaul | 1981- 1984 |
| 15. | Shri K.C Pant | 1984- 1985 |
| 16. | Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao | 1985- 1988 |
| 17. | Shri P. Shiv Shankar | 1988- 1989 |
| 18. | Shri V.P. Singh | 1989- 1990 |
| 19. | Shri Rajmangal Pandey | 1990- 1991 |
| 20. | Shri Arjun Singh | 1991- 1994 |
| 21. | Shri P.V. Narsimha Rao | 1994- 1995 |
| 22. | Shri Madhavrao Scindia | 1995- 1996 |
| 23. | Shri P.V. Narsimha Rao | January 1996- May 1996 |
| 24. | Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee | May 1996- June 1996 |
| 25. | Shri S.R. Bommai | 1996- 1998 |
| 26. | Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi | 1998- 2004 |
| 27. | Shri Arjun Singh | 2004- 2009 |
| 28. | Shri Kapil Sibal | 2009- 2012 |
| 29. | Sr. M.M. Pallam Raju | 2012- 2014 |
| 30. | Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani | 2014- 2016 |
| 31. | Shri Prakash Javadekar | 2016- 2019 |
| 32. | Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ | 2019- 2021 |
| 33. | Dharmendra Pradhan | 2021- Now |
FAQs
Who was the first education minister of India?
The first Education Minister of India was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
When was Maulana Azad born?
Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad was born on the 11th of November 1888 in Mecca, Hejaz (Saudi Arabia).
Which day is celebrated on 11th November?
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s birthday is celebrated as ‘National Education Day.’