National Education Day is celebrated every year on November 11 across India to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who was the first education minister of independent India. He served as the education minister from August 15, 1947 to February 2, 1958 and passed away in Delhi on February 22, 1958.

Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad was born on November 18, 1888. He was a freedom fighter, educationist, scholar and senior leader of the Indian National Congress.

He was a key architect of Independent India, also known as Maulana Azad. He was in charge of establishing top educational bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also founded India's first institute of technology, IIT Kharagpur.

Under his direction, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Sahitya Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) were all established.

The National Education Day is observed to commemorate Abul Kalam Azad's contributions to education during his lifetime. Azad focused on educating the rural poor and girls, adult literacy, universal primary education for all children up to the age of 14, and diversification of secondary education and vocational training in post-independence India.

Schools and colleges host programmes, seminars, and workshops to commemorate National Education Day. Essay, speech, poster, and other competitions are held at various schools.