National Education Day is celebrated every year on November 11 to honor the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Union Education Minister of independent India. A renowned educationist, journalist, and visionary, Azad made significant contributions to the educational landscape of the country. He was home-schooled and later trained in a variety of subjects including mathematics, philosophy, science, and world history. Azad could speak several languages including Arabic, Bengali, Persian, and English.
In 1912, he began publishing a weekly Urdu newspaper, Al-Hilal (The Crescent), in Calcutta, which became a significant voice for India’s independence. Azad’s contributions to education include playing a key role in the establishment of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He was also instrumental in founding Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. On National Education Day 2024, let’s reflect on the educational qualifications of the last five education ministers of India.
1. Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju (27th Union Minister for HRD)
Pallam Raju served as the Union Minister for Human Resources Development (HRD) in 2012 under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He completed his schooling at the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet (HPS), in 1979 and later pursued a BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam in 1983. He also holds an MBA from the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University, Philadelphia, USA, obtained in 1985.
2. Smriti Irani (28th Education Minister)
Smriti Irani served as the 28th Education Minister of India. She completed her schooling at the Holy Child Auxilium School in New Delhi and later enrolled at the School of Open Learning at the University of Delhi. Although there was controversy surrounding her education, Irani revealed in 2019 that she had appeared for her first-year B.Com exams from the University of Delhi but did not complete the three-year degree program.
3. Prakash Javadekar (29th Education Minister)
Prakash Javadekar, who held the position of Education Minister from July 5, 2016, to May 30, 2019, completed his BCom (Hons) from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). Javadekar served as the HRD Minister and played a crucial role in shaping education policies during his tenure.
4. Ramesh Pokhriyal (30th Education Minister)
Ramesh Pokhriyal was the HRD Minister when the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Education. He holds an MA degree from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand. Pokhriyal, along with his predecessors, launched the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aimed to transform the Indian educational system.
5. Dharmendra Pradhan (Current Education Minister)
Dharmendra Pradhan has been serving as the Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship since July 7, 2021. A native of Talcher in Odisha, Pradhan holds a postgraduate degree in Anthropology from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. He began his political career as the president of the student union at Talcher College.
