On the death anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, we remember a freedom fighter, youngest President of the Indian National Congress, and Independent India’s first Education Minister. A steadfast advocate of secularism and unity, he strengthened higher education through the University Grants Commission, established the Indian Institutes of Technology, expanded scientific research via the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, promoted cultural institutions like the Sahitya Akademi, championed free and compulsory education for children, authored India Wins Freedom, and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna for his lasting contribution to the nation.