The invaluable contribution of India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad for expansion of reach of education to masses and improvement of its quality was recalled on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Tuesday.

Participating in the National Education Day observed in this connection, educationists and other dignitaries paid rich tributes to the man who played an instrumental role in the establishment of the University Grants Commission and the Indian Institutes of Technology. Addressing the faculty and students of Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) at Tirupati, School Guru Eduserve’s Project Manager Prabhakaran predicted a rise in number of courses offered online and said that the online mode of education would facilitate expansion of learning to the grass-root level rather than the face-to-face mode of instruction. The programme was held by SPMVV’s Department of Communication and Journalism.

In a separate event, the members of Muslim Joint Action Committee (MJAC) paid homage to Maulana Abul Kalam Mr. Azad and recollected his contributions to the country. Yogi Vemana University (YVU) Vice-Chancellor B. Syamasundar garlanded Mr. Azad’s portrait in a function held at Kadapa. On the occasion, Mr. Syamasundar pointed out that Azad had rightly accorded more priority to education policy than the industrial policy. YVU Registrar C. Sambasiva Reddy said Azad had strove for national integration and tolerance to all religions. Coordinator of History and Archaeology Ramabrahmam explained Mr. Azad’s role in the independence movement and his support to reservations.

Paying tributes to Mr. Azad at the Congress office, District Congress Committee president Shaik Nazeer Ahmed said Azad had strived for the poor, weaker and downtrodden sections.

At Chittoor, the district administration celebrated the birth anniversary of Azad in a grand manner with the participation of a big number of students, teachers and officials. Mayor Katari Anuradha flagged off the rally with about one thousand students at Gandhi Circle and it passed through arterial junctions culminating at Ambedkar Bhavan.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Andhra Pradesh Bureau / Tirupati-Kadapa-Chittoor, November 12th, 2014