NDA (II) 2019 General Ability Test · Question 123 of 148

Correct — C, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He was independent India's first Education Minister, holding the portfolio in Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet from 1947 until his death in 1958; under him were laid the foundations of the University Grants Commission and the IITs. His birthday, 11 November, is observed as National Education Day. Radhakrishnan (a scholar who became Vice-President and later President), Sardar Patel (Home) and Acharya Narendra Dev (a socialist leader who was not in the Union Cabinet) did not hold the education portfolio.

• (a)Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan — A philosopher-statesman who became Vice-President in 1952 and later President; he was not the first Education Minister.
• (b)Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — India's first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, in charge of home affairs and the integration of the princely states, not education.
• (d)Acharya Narendra Dev — A leading socialist and educationist, but he was not a member of the first Union Cabinet and never held the education portfolio.

In independent India's first Cabinet (1947) Nehru was Prime Minister, Sardar Patel took Home, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad took Education, which he held until 1958. He shaped early national education policy — the University Grants Commission, the IITs and the national akademis for the arts.

Recall the portfolio holders of the first Cabinet. The distractors are all eminent contemporaries, but only Azad held Education; National Education Day (11 November, his birthday) is the memory hook.

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was independent India's first Education Minister (1947–1958).
• His birth anniversary, 11 November, is celebrated as National Education Day.
• He was earlier the youngest Congress president (1923) and president again from 1940 to 1946.
• Sardar Patel held Home; Radhakrishnan became Vice-President in 1952 and later President.

• Guessing the scholar Radhakrishnan for an education post (his birthday, 5 September, is Teachers' Day, not Education Day).
• Assuming every famous first-Cabinet name held a 'natural' portfolio.

Who held a named portfolio in the first Cabinet — Education points to Maulana Azad.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  National Education Day in India is observed on the birth anniversary of

  • (a)Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
  • (b)Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
  • (c)Jawaharlal Nehru
  • (d)Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

  Answer(b) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad — 11 November.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Who was the Home Minister in independent India's first Cabinet?

  • (a)Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
  • (b)Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
  • (c)Rajendra Prasad
  • (d)C. Rajagopalachari

  Answer(b) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — also Deputy Prime Minister.