People of Education, Torchbearers of India’s Learning Transformation
Every year, 15 August stirs a deep pride in our hearts. We remember the brave souls who fought for our political freedom. But true freedom, the kind that lasts needs something more. It needs the power to read, to think, to dream, to talk, to vote, to represent and that power comes from education!
In the decades before and after Independence, a few remarkable women and men became the guiding lights of our nation’s learning journey. They were not just teachers or leaders; they were visionaries who imagined a nation where education belonged to everyone.
Savitribai Phule, Lighting the First Lamp
Picture Pune in 1848. Streets dusty, society rigid, and the idea of girls going to school almost unthinkable. In the middle of this stood Savitribai Phule, books in hand, opening the doors of the first school for girls with her husband, Jyotirao Phule.
She faced a social boycott, yet she walked to the school every morning. To her, teaching was not charity; it was justice. She believed education could break chains of caste and gender inequality. More than a century later, her courage still whispers to us: If you want change, start with a classroom.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Building the Nation’s Learning Hubs
When India finally woke up to freedom in 1947, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru knew that dreams alone wouldn’t build a modern nation. We needed institutions, places where science, medicine, and technology could flourish.
Under his leadership, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the University Grants Commission (UGC) took shape. Nehru’s idea was simple but powerful: if we could match the world in education, we could match it in progress. And so began a new chapter where knowledge became India’s real capital.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, The Teacher Who Led a Nation
Long before he became the second President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a beloved teacher. His students admired not just his intellect, but his humility and warmth.
He often said education should build not only the mind but also the heart. Careers mattered, but character mattered more. It’s no wonder that his birthday, 5 September, is celebrated as Teachers’ Day, a reminder that in every great student’s story, there is a teacher who believed in them first.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Education for Every Child
As India’s first Education Minister, Maulana Azad dreamt big: universal primary education, world-class universities, and research that could rival any in the world. He played a key role in strengthening the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, setting up IITs, and building the foundation of the UGC.
For him, education was not a privilege, it was a birthright. His policies still echo in our national goals today.
Chitra Naik, Taking Learning Beyond Classrooms
Post-Independence, Dr. Chitra Naik saw that not all education could happen within four walls. She championed Balwadis for young children, training centres for women, and literacy programmes for adults. She believed learning should fit people’s lives, not the other way around. Her work shaped how India thinks about community driven education even today.
Carrying the Torch Forward, EdIndia’s Role
At Sterlite EdIndia Foundation, we believe we are walking the path these torchbearers lit. Our teacher training programmes, digital innovations, and community work all carry the same message: learning must be inclusive, fair, and inspiring
Like Savitribai, we work to ensure no child is left behind because of gender or background. Like Nehru and Azad, we build strong foundations, not just in brick and mortar, but in skilled, motivated teachers.
Independence Day is a salute to our past, but it is also a call to action. The People of Education taught us that the truest form of freedom is the ability to learn, to question, and to create.
This 15 August, as the tricolour flutters high, let’s remember them. And let’s promise to keep lighting lamps of education until no corner of India is left in the dark.