GK Questions and Quiz on National Education Day & Maulana Azad

National Education Day is celebrated in India every year on November 11. This date marks the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of independent India and a key architect of its educational foundation.

Maulana Aazad famously believed that 'We must not for a moment forget, it is a birthright of every individual to receive at least the basic education without which he cannot fully discharge his duties as a citizen.' To honor his legacy, this article provides a comprehensive set of GK questions and answers covering both his life and the significance of National Education Day.

This quiz is perfect for students preparing for school assemblies, competitive exams, or anyone wanting to test their knowledge on this important topic.

• India’s First Education Minister (1947–1958): Azad served as the first Education Minister of independent India for over a decade. His policies focused on nation-building through education, literacy, and cultural integration.
• Founder of the University Grants Commission (UGC): He established the UGC in 1953 to regulate and maintain academic standards across Indian universities and promote higher education research and development.
• Visionary Behind the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs): Maulana Azad played a pivotal role in establishing India’s first IIT at Kharagpur in 1951. His vision was to create world-class technical institutions to drive India’s scientific and industrial progress.
• Established National Cultural Academies: To preserve and promote India’s art and culture, Azad founded the Sahitya Akademi (literature), Sangeet Natak Akademi (music and performing arts), and Lalit Kala Akademi (fine arts). These institutions continue to nurture India’s creative heritage.
• Champion of Free and Compulsory Education: He strongly advocated for universal primary education and free schooling for children up to 14 years of age, long before the Right to Education became a law. He believed that education was the foundation for social equality and national progress.
• Promoter of Women’s Education: Azad emphasized women’s empowerment through education and encouraged the establishment of girls’ schools and scholarships to promote gender equality in learning.
• Advocate of Scientific and Technical Learning: He stressed the importance of modern science and vocational training in curricula, ensuring India’s youth could compete globally in the fields of innovation and technology.
• Initiated Adult Literacy and Rural Education Programs: His ministry launched schemes to promote literacy among adults and rural populations, focusing on bridging the urban–rural education divide.
• Strengthened Institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University: Azad extended support to these universities, aligning them with India’s modern educational vision and fostering inclusive national identity.
• Philosophy of “Unity through Education”: He viewed education as a bridge between diverse communities, believing that learning was the key to harmony, democracy, and progress in post-independence India.

Q1. When is National Education Day celebrated in India?

A) 5 September

B) 11 November

C) 14 April

D) 1 June

Q2. National Education Day marks the birth anniversary of which leader?

A) B. R. Ambedkar

B) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

C) Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

D) Jawaharlal Nehru

Also Check: GK Questions on Children Day

Q3. In which year did the Government of India declare 11 November as National Education Day?

A) 2005

B) 2008

C) 2010

D) 2015

Q4. What was the “official” theme for National Education Day 2024?

A) “Learning for Lasting Peace”

B) “Inclusive, High-Quality Education”

C) “Transforming Education through Digital Innovation”

D) No single officially declared national theme

Q5. What is the primary purpose of celebrating National Education Day?

A) To honour Maulana Azad’s contributions & reinforce the importance of education

B) To focus only on physical education

C) To celebrate only technical institutes

D) To launch national sports programmes

Q6. Which position did Maulana Abul Kalam Azad hold in independent India?

A) First Prime Minister

B) First President

C) First Minister of Education

D) First Finance Minister

Q7. Which bodies or institutions are often associated with Azad’s education vision?

A) UGC

B) AICTE

C) IITs (foundational push)

D) All of the above

Q8. Since which year has National Education Day been observed annually in India?

A) 1990

B) 2000

C) 2008

D) 2012

Q9. Which constitutional provision explicitly guarantees the Right to Education (RTE)?

A) Article 21A

B) Article 15

C) Article 19

D) Article 51A

Q10. “Quality education” in the context of this day most closely emphasises:

A) Knowledge + critical thinking + emotional intelligence

B) Only rote learning

C) Only sports education

D) Only English-medium instruction

To learn more about India's government and history, check out our GK Questions on the Constitution of India and our quiz on National Symbols of India.

Q11. Typical school/college activities on National Education Day include:

A) Essay writing, debates, poster-making on education

B) Only sports events

C) Only movie screenings

D) Only a teacher holiday

Q12. A core message of National Education Day is to ensure:

A) Access to quality education for all

B) Only academic competition

C) Only vocational training

D) Only exam preparation

Q13. Celebrating National Education Day reinforces the role of education in:

A) Only personal benefit

B) National development & empowerment

C) Only corporate training

D) Only sports development

GK Quiz on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

“How much do you know about the man behind National Education Day? Dive into this quiz about his life, achievements, and legacy.”

Q14. Who was the first Education Minister of independent India?

A) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

B) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

C) Zakir Husain

D) B. R. Ambedkar

Q15. Maulana Azad served as Education Minister from which year to which year?

A) 1947–1952

B) 1947–1958

C) 1950–1958

D) 1948–1956

Q16. Which famous book was written by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad?

A) Discovery of India

B) India Wins Freedom

C) Gitanjali

D) My Experiments with Truth

Q17. Maulana Azad was posthumously awarded which of India’s highest civilian honours?

A) Padma Vibhushan

B) Padma Bhushan

C) Bharat Ratna

D) Padma Shri

Q18. In which year was Maulana Azad awarded the Bharat Ratna?

A) 1988

B) 1990

C) 1992

D) 1994

Q19. Which weekly journal was started by Maulana Azad in 1912?

A) Young India

B) Al-Hilal

C) Kesari

D) Al-Balagh

Q20. Maulana Azad was the President of the Indian National Congress in which year (Ramgarh Session)?

A) 1920

B) 1923

C) 1940

D) 1946

Q21. Which of these institutions was established or strengthened during Azad’s tenure?

A) University Grants Commission (UGC)

B) Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)

C) Sahitya Akademi

D) All of the above

Q22. Where was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad born?

A) Delhi

B) Mecca

C) Kolkata

D) Lucknow

Q23. What does the pen name “Azad” signify?

A) Scholar

B) Free/Independent

C) Brave

D) Teacher

Q24. Which other Urdu work/collection is associated with Maulana Azad?

A) Ghubar-e-Khatir

B) Annihilation of Caste

C) Hind Swaraj

D) Why I am an Atheist

Q25. National Education Day (11 November) is celebrated to mark:

A) His swearing-in as Minister

B) His birth anniversary

C) His death anniversary

D) The founding of UGC

Q26, Which movement did Maulana Azad strongly support to unite communities?

A) Swadeshi only

B) Divide-and-Rule

C) Hindu–Muslim unity within the freedom struggle

D) Only armed struggle

Q27. Under Azad’s stewardship, early IIT development began with which institute in 1951?

A) IIT Bombay

B) IIT Kharagpur

C) IIT Madras

D) IIT Kanpur

Q28. Which cultural academies took shape in the 1950s with support during Azad’s tenure?

A) Sahitya Akademi & Sangeet Natak Akademi

B) Film and Television Institute of India

C) National School of Drama

D) None of these

Q29. Which university named in his honour is headquartered in Hyderabad (est. 1998)?

A) Maulana Azad National Urdu University

B) Jamia Millia Islamia

C) Aligarh Muslim University

D) Maulana Azad College, Kolkata

Q30. During the Quit India Movement (1942), Maulana Azad was:

A) Outside India

B) Arrested with top Congress leaders

C) Serving as Governor

D) In the Viceroy’s Council

Q31. Which language(s) did Maulana Azad write and speak with distinction?

A) Only Urdu

B) Urdu, Arabic, Persian; also English & Hindi

C) Only English

D) Only Hindi

Q32. Which other journal did Azad launch after Al-Hilal was banned?

A) Harijan

B) Al-Balagh

C) The Leader

D) Navjivan

Q33. Maulana Azad passed away in which year?

A) 1956

B) 1958

C) 1960

D) 1962