In September of 2008, India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development declared the birthday of ‘the great son of India’ — Maulana Abul Kalam Azad — to be nationally recognized as Education Day. The day is also an occasion to remember Abul Kalam’s contribution to laying the foundations of the education system in an independent India and evaluating and improving the country’s current performance in the field.

After its independence in 1947, India struggled to revamp and stabilize its institutions and sectors completely. Recognizing that education would be crucial for nation-building, the country’s leaders shifted their focus toward education. Abul Kalam, in particular, served as the flag bearer for this cause. Speaking in 1948 at All India Education, he highlighted the importance of this birthright of every person to receive the primary education necessary for their well-being without foregoing their duties as a citizen.

As a freedom fighter and academician, Abul Kalam was the best fit for the role of Education Minister for independent India. Illiteracy was a significant hurdle for the country’s development, which had already struggled and suffered through years of exploitation before gaining status as a separate nation.

Understanding the integral role played by a healthy education system for the country’s development, as Chairman of the Central Advisory Board of Education, Maulana Abul Kalam was the driving force towards eradicating illiteracy. He emphasized heavily on elementary education and propagated the expansion of secondary education, especially for girls.

But perhaps his most significant contribution is to the Indian Institutes of Technology. Under his leadership, the first IIT was inaugurated in 1951. Abul Kalam truly believed in the potential of establishing IITs to progress research and technological advancement in India. True enough, today, IITs have created a niche for themselves. Whether nationally or internationally, IITs are considered the epitome of educational excellence. It is fitting to honor the memory of the man behind India’s academic might by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day every year