Focus: GS I- Modern Indian history.
Why in News?
PM pays tributes to Maulana Azad and Acharya Kripalani on their Jayanti
About Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- The National Education Day of India is celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.
- Born on 11 November 1888 and died on 22 February 1958.
- He was senior Muslim leader of Indian National Congress during Indian independence movement.
- He is commonly remembered as Maulana Azad (word Maulana is honorific meaning ‘Our Master’) and he had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen name.
- In 1923, at age of 35, he became youngest person to serve as President of Indian National Congress.
- He served as Congress president from 1940 to 1945, during which Quit India rebellion was launched.
- He also worked for Hindu-Muslim unity through the Al-Hilal newspaper.
About Acharya Kripalani
- The Jivatram Bhagwant’s Kripalani, also called Acharya Kripalani, (born November 11, 1888, Hyderabad, India [now in Pakistan]died March 19, 1982, Ahmadabad), prominent Indian educator, social activist, and politician in both pre- and post-independence India,
- The Kripalani Ji who was a close associate of Mohandas K Gandhi and a longtime supporter of his ideology.
- The Acharya kripalani ji wife was famous the Sucheta Kripalani, the India’s 1st women Chief Minister.
- He was a leading figure in the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) during the 1930s and 40s and later was a founder of the Praja Socialist Party (PSP).
- He grew close to Gandhi ji and at one point, he was one of Gandhi’s most ardent disciples.
- He had served as the General Secretary of the INC for almost a decade.
- He had experience working in the field of education and was made the president to rebuild the INC.
- The disputes between the party and the Government over procedural matters affected his relationship with the colleagues in the Government.
- The Kripalani was a familiar figure to generations of dissenters, from the Non cooperation movements of the 1920s to the Emergency of the 1970s.
