About National Education Day
National Education Day, or Rashtriya Shiksha Diwas, is observed on 11 November, the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India's first Education Minister from 1947 to 1958. The Ministry of Human Resource Development declared the day in 2008, and schools and colleges mark it with talks and events on education. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.
Many of India's central institutions of learning and culture were set up in one eleven-year stretch, under one minister. National Education Day is named for him, although outside schools his name is less familiar than the institutions he started.
Why is National Education Day celebrated on 11 November?
National Education Day is celebrated on 11 November because Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born on that day in 1888, in Mecca, where his family was living at the time. On 11 September 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, now the Ministry of Education, announced that his birthday would be observed every year as National Education Day. It is not a public holiday; schools and colleges stay open and hold events.
Who was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad?
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a scholar, journalist and Congress leader who became independent India's first Education Minister. His given name was Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin; "Azad", free, was his pen name. His family moved to Calcutta when he was a child, and he was educated at home in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, philosophy and mathematics.
- 1912Al-Hilal
Starts an Urdu weekly in Calcutta that attacks British rule and argues for Hindu-Muslim unity; it is later shut down.
- 1920Jamia Millia Islamia
Among the founding members of the institution in Aligarh, later moved to Delhi.
- 1923Congress President
Becomes the youngest person to preside over the Congress, at 35.
- 1940–1946Congress President again
Leads the party through the Quit India years and the negotiations for independence, much of it from prison.
- 1947–1958Education Minister
Serves as independent India's first Minister of Education until his death.
- 22 February 1958Death
Dies in Delhi.
- 1992Bharat Ratna
Awarded posthumously.
At the Ramgarh session of the Congress in 1940, when the demand for a separate Muslim homeland was growing, Azad used his presidential address to reject the idea that Hindus and Muslims were separate nations.
I am proud of being an Indian. I am a part of the indivisible unity that is Indian nationality.
What did Maulana Azad do for education in India?
Maulana Azad's eleven years as Education Minister produced many of the institutions Indian students and artists still pass through. He argued that free and compulsory education to the age of fourteen was every child's right, and pushed for adult literacy and education for girls.
| Institution | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Council for Cultural Relations | 1950 | Cultural exchange with other countries; Azad founded it |
| IIT Kharagpur | 1951 | The first Indian Institute of Technology |
| Sangeet Natak Akademi | Set up 1952, inaugurated 1953 | National academy for music, dance and drama |
| University Grants Commission | 1953 | Funds and regulates universities |
| Sahitya Akademi | 1954 | National academy of letters, with awards in 24 languages |
| Lalit Kala Akademi | 1954 | National academy of visual arts |
His idea of free schooling up to fourteen became law much later. Article 21A of the Constitution and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 made education a fundamental right for children aged six to fourteen.
How is National Education Day observed?
National Education Day is observed mostly in schools, colleges and education departments. Common events include:
- Talks on Maulana Azad's life and on the right to education.
- Essay, poster and debate competitions on education themes.
- Literacy drives, book donations and visits to government schools by college volunteers.
- Seminars at universities and at institutions that carry his name, such as Maulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad and Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi.
A useful personal way to mark the day is to support one learner: pay a term's fees for a domestic worker's child, donate textbooks to a local library, or teach an older relative to use a phone for banking.
What to write on National Education Day
A good National Education Day message is addressed to a person who made learning possible, and says what they did.
Happy National Education Day. You taught me to ask the second question, not just answer the first. Thank you.
On National Education Day, thank you for every fee paid on time, even when it meant going without. Our degrees are yours too.
Happy National Education Day. You're the first in the family with a degree, and you won't be the last. Proud of you.
Happy National Education Day. Maulana Azad believed schooling is everyone's right. Use yours well, and help someone else get theirs.
On National Education Day, thank you for the classrooms you keep open where no one else would.
Warm wishes on National Education Day. Here's to the unglamorous work of lesson plans, results and parent meetings.
Do
- Name the person and what they did for your learning.
- Mention Maulana Azad; many people don't know who the day is for.
- Include support staff, librarians and volunteers in thank-yous.
Avoid
- Don't mix it up with Teachers' Day on 5 September or Children's Day on 14 November.
- Avoid messages that shame people who couldn't study further.
- Don't lecture students; encourage them.
For the UN's day on the same theme, see International Day of Education on 24 January, and for literacy, International Literacy Day on 8 September.
How to wish someone on National Education Day
A National Education Day message thanks the people who make learning possible: teachers, parents who paid fees they could barely afford, librarians, the first person in a family to go to college. It can mention Maulana Azad's belief that basic education is every person's right. Keep it warm and specific; avoid lecturing students.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is National Education Day in 2026 and 2027?
National Education Day is on 11 Nov every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
Who was India's first Education Minister?
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was independent India's first Education Minister, serving from 1947 until his death in 1958. His birthday, 11 November, is observed as National Education Day.
When was National Education Day first declared?
National Education Day was declared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 11 September 2008. It has been observed every year on 11 November since then, marking Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's birth anniversary.
What is the difference between National Education Day and Teachers' Day?
National Education Day, on 11 November, honours Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and the cause of education. Teachers' Day, on 5 September, marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and honours teachers.
Which institutions did Maulana Azad set up?
As Education Minister, Maulana Azad oversaw the founding of IIT Kharagpur, the University Grants Commission, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Sahitya Akademi and the Lalit Kala Akademi, and he founded the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in 1950.
Why is Abul Kalam Azad called Maulana?
"Maulana" is an honorific for a learned Islamic scholar. Abul Kalam Azad earned it through his deep knowledge of Arabic, Persian and Islamic theology, and he also wrote a well-known Urdu commentary on the Quran.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .