Education: Maulana Azad Implemented Education as a Tool for National Integration – Prof. Dr. Mahebub Sayyed; Maulana Azad Lecture Series First Event

Ahmednagar |13 November | Abid Khan

Education On the occasion of the 137th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a lecture by Dr. Mahebub Sayyed was organized at the Maulana Azad Urdu Girls’ High School in Mukundnagar as part of the Qaumi Ekta (National Unity) Week organized by Makhdoom Society. Present at the event were Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam, founder and chief administrator of Mohammedia Education Society; Abid Dulhekhan, president of Makhdoom Society; Dr. Qamar Surur, secretary; Rajubhai Sheikh, director; Dr. Shama Farooqi, Principal Farhana Sayyed, Haseeb Sheikh, and Farida Jahagirdar, among others.

During the event, Mahebub Sayyed stated that India’s first Education Minister, Maulana Azad, crafted educational policies that considered the nation’s educational progress and the training needs of its youth. He implemented education as a tool for national integration, leading to a significant revolution in the educational sector, making education accessible to all. He is viewed as the father of educational expansion. Highlighting the importance of education in Parliament, Maulana Azad remarked that education should hold a key place in the national budget, ranking just after food and clothing. He believed that the goal of the country’s five-year plans should go beyond just advancements in agriculture, industry, electricity, and transportation; it should also focus on properly shaping the nation’s youth through education. As a result, the initial educational budget of 2 crore rupees grew to 30 crores by 1958. He took substantial steps for educational development, establishing and nurturing many new educational institutions.

In 1923, at just 35 years of age, he became the youngest president of the Congress Party. He was a key revolutionary in the Dandi Satyagraha and served as Congress President for six consecutive years from 1940 to 1945. During his tenure, the 1942 “Quit India” movement was launched. For his role in the freedom struggle, he spent a total of seven and a half years in prison, holding the record for the longest time spent in incarceration for the freedom cause. It was noted that, on average, one day of his life each week was spent in jail.

The event’s introduction was given by Dr. Qamar Surur, with Anjum Khan as the host, and Yasmin Sheikh offered the vote of thanks

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