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List of Education Ministers of India 1947 to 2024 and Tenure

Literacy rates have increased from 12% to 75% in recent years after independence. Since India’s independence, the educational system has advanced, and this development can be attributed to our leaders’ enormous devotion and dedication to raising the standard of education that is provided. Up to this point, there have been over 30 different education ministers. They have all performed great work during their tenures as India’s ministers of education. On September 26, 1985, the Ministry of Education, which is in charge of carrying out the National Education Policy, was established in order to accomplish or better this purpose. The Ministry of Education has existed in India since 1947. The Rajiv Gandhi administration renamed the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in 1985. Later, after the current administration publicly unveiled its recently drafted “National Education Policy 2020,” the Ministry of Human Resource Development was changed back to the Ministry of Education. At the moment, it has two departments:

The Department of School Education and Literacy

This division deals with adult education, literacy, and basic, intermediate, and upper secondary education in India.

The Department of Higher Education

This division deals with technical education, scholarships, and other matters related to secondary, post-secondary, and university-level education. According to Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, the department has the authority to confer presumed university status on educational institutions based on the recommendations made by the UGC of India. While the Department of School Education & Literacy is in charge of the country’s school education and literacy development, the Department of Higher Education is in charge of one of the largest higher education systems in the world, second only to the US and China.

List of Education Ministers of India from 1947-2024

Here’s complete Education Ministers of India List:

Name of Education Minister Term of Office
Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad 15th August 1947 – 22nd January 1958
Dr. K. L. Shrimali 22nd January 1958 – 31st August 1963
Shri Humayun Kabir 1st September 1963- 21th November 1963
Shri. M. C. Chagla 21th November 1963- 13th November 1966
Shri. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed 14th November 1966- 13th March 1967
Dr. Triguna Sen 16th March 1967- 14th February 1969
Dr. V. K. R. V. Rao 14th February 1969 – 18th March 1971
Shri. Siddhartha Shankar Ray 18th March 1971 – 20th March 1972
Prof. S. Nurul Hasan 24th March 1972- 24th March 1977
Prof. Pratap Chandra Chunder 26th March 1977 – 28th July 1979
Dr. Karan Singh 29 July 1979 -January 1980
Shri. B. Shankar Anand 14th January 1980- 18th October 1980
Shri. S.B. Chavan 17th October 1980- 8th August 1981
Smt. Sheila Kaul 10th August 1981- 31st December 1984
Shri. K. C. Pant 31st December 1984- 25th September 1985
Shri. P.V. Narasimha Rao 25th September 1985- 25th June 1988
Shri. P. Shiv Shankar 25th June 1988- 2nd December 1989
Shri. V.P. Singh 2nd December 1989- 10th November 1990
Shri. Raj Mangal Pandey 21st November 1990- 21st June 1991
Shri. Arjun Singh 23rd June 1991- 24th December 1994
P.V Narasimha Rao (Repeated Twice) 25th December 1994- 9th February 1995
Shri. Madhav Rao Scindia 10th February 1995- 17th January 1996
P.V Narasimha Rao (Repeated Thrice) 17th January 1996- 16th May 1996
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee 16th May 1996- 1st June 1996
Shri. S.R. Bommai 5th June 1996- 19th March 1998
Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi 19th March 1998- 22nd May 2009
Arjun Singh (Repeated Twice) 22nd May 2004 – 22nd May 2009
Shri Kapil Sibal 29th May 2009- 29th October 2012
Shri. M. M. Pallam Raju 30th October 2012- 26th May 2014
Smt. Smriti Irani 26th May 2014 – 5th July 2016
Shri. Prakash Javdekar 5th July 2016 – 30th May 2019
Ramesh Pokhriyal 30th May 2019- 7th July 2021
Dharmendra Pradhan 7th July 2021 – Present

Current Education Minister of India?

Dharmendra Pradhan is an Indian politician serving as the Minister of Education and formerly the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the government formed after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He won the Sambalpur constituency in Odisha with 49.48% of the votes, while his main opponent received 39.47%. Pradhan has also held positions as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Steel. He represents Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha and was previously in the 14th Lok Sabha. He became the Minister of Education in July 2021.

  • Born on June 26, 1969, in Talcher, Odisha, Pradhan is the son of Debendra Pradhan, a former Minister of State. He is known as the “Ujjwala Man” for his role in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana launched in 2016.
  • Pradhan earned a post-graduate degree in Anthropology from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, and has worked on youth issues like unemployment and skill development. He began his political career in 1983 as an ABVP activist and was later elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from Deogarh. He has received several awards for his contributions to society and politics.

First Education Minister of India

Abul Kalam Azad was the first Minister of Education in Independent India, Known as Azad, which means “free,” he greatly influenced India’s education system, leading to his birthday being celebrated as National Education Day.

At 35, he became the youngest president of the Indian National Congress in 1923. He played a significant role in the Dharasana Satyagraha in 1931 and was a strong advocate for secularism, socialism, and Hindu-Muslim unity. He served as Congress president from 1940 to 1945, during the Quit India Movement, and was jailed with other leaders. Through his journal, Al-Hilal, he promoted harmony between different communities.

Early Life

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, originally named Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin, was born on November 11, 1888, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. His father, Maulana Khairuddin, was a well-known Islamic scholar who taught him in his early years. Inspired by modern thinkers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Azad became a lively journalist in his teens and launched an Urdu newspaper called Al-Hilal, which was later banned by the British. He also became the president of the Indian National Congress twice, in 1923 and 1940.

Role in India’s Independence Movement

Azad was a key leader in the Indian independence movement. He actively participated in the Khilafat Movement from 1920 to 1924 and served as the president of the All-India Khilafat Committee. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, he took part in major movements like the Dandi March in 1930 and the Quit India Movement in 1942. He was imprisoned multiple times between 1920 and 1945 and played a crucial role in discussions about independence, strongly opposing the partition of India.

Contribution to Constitution Making

Azad was elected to the Constituent Assembly representing the United Provinces. He served on five committees and contributed to debates on national language and education. Although he spoke less in the Assembly, his leadership was vital in behind-the-scenes discussions.

Later Contributions

After India gained independence, Azad became the Education Minister, a role he held until 1958 in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet. He was instrumental in establishing the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to promote cultural exchanges with Eastern countries. Azad passed away on February 22, 1958, and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his contributions as a freedom fighter, journalist, scholar, and poet.

Writings

Fluent in several languages, including Arabic, Hindi, English, Urdu, Persian, and Bengali, Azad authored many books. He is best known for An Autobiographical Narrative, published after his death, along with other significant works like Gubar-e-Khatir, Azad on Pakistan, and Tazkirah.

First Female Education Minister of India

Anandiben Patel is a prominent figure in Indian politics, known for being the first woman Education Minister of India and the first female Chief Minister of Gujarat. An active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1987, she served as the Cabinet Minister for Education from 2002 to 2007, playing a significant role in shaping educational policies during her tenure.

Early Life
Name Smt. Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel
Date of Birth November 21, 1941
Birth Place Kharod, Bijapur Taluka, District Mahesana.
Permanent Address ”Dharam’, near Shan Bungalows, Shilaj Ahmedabad.
Current Address Raj Bhavan, Uttar Pradesh Lucknow
Education MSc, M.Ed (Gold Medalist).
Occupation Retired Principal (Mohinaba Girls High School, Ahmedabad) and Social Services
Literary Activities Writing articles for ‘Earth’, ‘Sadhana’ and ‘Sakhi’ magazines from time to time.
Interests Study, Writing, Travel, Public Relations.
Published Books • ‘A mane hamesha yaad raheshe’ (Gujarati Edition).
• ‘Prayas’
• ‘Pratibimb’
Particulars Details
Parliamentary Life
  • Member of Rajya Sabha, 1994-1998.
  • In 1998, was elected from Mandal assembly constituency Ahmedabad, and became MLA. From 1998 to 2002, was the Minister of Education (primary, secondary, and adult) and Minister of Women & Child Welfare.
  • In 2002, became the legislator from Patan Vidhan Sabha constituency for the second time and proved the belief wrong that the Gujarat Education Minister can not win consequetive elections.Was the Minister of Education (primary, secondary, and adult) and Minister of, Higher and Technical Education, Women and Child Welfare, Sports, Youth and Cultural Activity from the year 2002 till 2007.
  • In the year 2007, became the legislator from Patan Vidhan Sabha constituency for the third time. From 2007 to 2012, she was the Minister of Revenue, Disaster Management, Road and Building, Capital Project, Women and Child Welfare.
  • In 2012, was elected for the fourth consecutive time MLA from the Ghatlodia assembly constituency in the Ahmedabad city and won the most votes in the state. She was the Minister of Revenue, Drought Relief, Land Reform, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Road and Building, Capital Project, Urban Development and Urban Housing from 2012 to 2014.
  • From 22nd May 2014 to 7th August, 2016, was the first woman Chief Minister of the Gujarat State.
  • Was the Governor of Chhattisgarh from 15 August 2018 till 28 July 2019.
  • Was the Governor of Madhya Pradesh from 23 January 2018 till 28 July 2019.
Political Activities
  • Joined politics in 1987. Held important posts in the BJP like the President of State Women’s Front, Vice President for BJP’s State Unit, Member of National Executive Council of BJP.
  • Was the only woman from Gujarat to participate in the Ekta Yatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar conducted by BJP. Despite the threats of terrorists, was involved in the flag hoisting at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on 26 January 1992.
Achievements during Chief Minister’s Tenure
  • Launched the “Maa Vatsalya” scheme to provide free treatment to the poor and middle class families.
  • Launched the “Yuva Swavalamban” scheme to provide higher education for all poor students.
  • Campaign for 100% ODF (open defecation free) in Gujarat
  • Free toll tax (for non-commercial vehicles) in Gujarat
  • Started free Cancer tests and treatment for all women.
  • In order to enable Narmada water to reach the fields through canals and minor canals, successfully campaigned for unanimas land acquisition where there was unavailability of land for building of of canals.
  • More than 100 town plans were sanctioned in the shortest time.
  • Transparent implementation of Vidya Sahayak Yojana.
  • Vidya Lakshmi Bond and Vidya Deep schemes were implemented.
  • Mata Yashoda Award announced.
  • Use of Technology for process simplification
  • Construction of village roads at a cost of Rs. 10,000 crores.
Honors / Awards
  • During the schooling, ‘Veer Bala’ award was awarded in the year 1958 at the Mehsana District School Sports Festival.
  • In 1988, was awarded the ‘Best Teacher’ award in Gujarat.
  • In the year 1990, was honored by the President of India with the’Best Teacher’ award at the national level.
  • Was awarded Gujarat Government’s ‘Gallantry Award’ for saving two girl students of Mohinaba Kanya Vidyalaya, who did not know how to swim, from being drowned in the Narmada River.
  • ‘Sardar Patel Award’ by Patel Awakash Mandal, Mumbai in 1999.
  • ‘Vidya Gaurav’ award by Shri Taptodhan Brahmin Vikas Mandal in the year 2000
  • In the year 2005, the ‘Patidar Shiromani’ award was given by the Patel community.
  • Was also honored by the Ambu Bhai Old School of Exercise, Rajpipla
  • Awarded the “Charumathi Yoddha” Award.
Foreign Travel
  • Member of the Indian Government Team for the Fourth World Women’s Conference in Beijing (China).
  • In the year 1996, travelled with the Indian Parliamentary Party to Bulgaria. Study tours of France, Germany, Holland, England, the Netherlands, America, Canada and Mexico etc wer undertaken.
  • In 2002, visited Namibia – South Africa with a team of Gujarat Branch of the Common Wealth Parliamentary Association for their 48th Conference.
  • In September 2009, represented Gujarat in the ‘Village India’ program in London.
  • In May 2015, traveled to China with Gujarat’s Business Delegation as Chief Minister along with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Education Minister Objectives

The National Education Policy focuses on improving education quality and access, particularly in underserved areas. It supports disadvantaged groups like the poor, women, and minorities, and offers financial help such as scholarships and loans for students from marginalized backgrounds. By promoting international collaboration in education with UNESCO and other countries, India aims to tackle the challenges of accessibility and quality in its education system. Education is key to national growth, and the Education Ministry plays a crucial role in managing the system to meet the population’s needs.

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FAQs

Who is current education minister of India?

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan is current education minister of India

Who is the education minister of India in 2022?

Education minister of India in 2022 is Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

Who is the 1st education minister of India?

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is the first education minister of independent India, who served from 15 August 1947 until 2 February 1958. National Education Day of India is celebrated on 11 November every year in India.

Who is the first woman education minister of India?

Anandiben Patel is the first woman education minister of India. She has served as the first female Chief Minister of Gujarat. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1987. She was the Cabinet Minister for Education from 2002 to 2007.

Who is the first teaching minister?

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first education minister of India. He would serve from 1947 until 1958, dying 20 days after retirement. Azad was born in Mecca and raised as a Muslim.