India celebrates National Education Day, honouring the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the nation’s first Union Education Minister. Azad, a distinguished educationist and journalist, was a significant force in shaping independent India’s educational landscape.
Home-schooled in mathematics, philosophy, world history, and science, he was fluent in multiple languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Persian, and English. In 1912, he launched Al-Hilal, an influential Urdu newspaper, advocating reform and education. Azad’s legacy includes founding key institutions such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), and Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, which remain pivotal to India’s academic foundation.
In light of National Education Day, here’s a look at the educational backgrounds of India’s last five education ministers:
Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju served as the 27th Education Minister under former PM Manmohan Singh’s government in 2012. Raju, an alumnus of Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, holds a BTech in Electronics and Communication from Andhra University and an MBA from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
Smriti Irani became the 28th Education Minister in 2014. She attended Holy Child Auxilium School in New Delhi and pursued her B.Com degree through Delhi University’s School of Open Learning. Irani disclosed that she completed the first-year exams but did not finish the degree, following public speculation about her educational qualifications.
Prakash Javadekar (2016-2019), the 29th minister, holds a BCom (Hons) degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University. He served in the Human Resources Development Ministry, overseeing several reforms.
Ramesh Pokhriyal (2019) was instrumental in launching the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, though its drafting began prior to his tenure. Pokhriyal, who holds an MA from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, resigned shortly after NEP's launch.
Dharmendra Pradhan, appointed in 2021, is the current Minister of Education and Skill Development. Pradhan, a Talcher College alumnus, holds a postgraduate degree in Anthropology from Utkal University. Known for his extensive experience, he also previously served as the longest-standing Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Each minister has contributed uniquely to India’s educational landscape, reflecting a variety of academic and professional backgrounds.