Maulana Sayyid Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad was an Indian scholar and independence activist who served as the first education minister of independent India. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of important educational and cultural institutions in India like the University Grants Commission, Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Jamia Milia Islamia, and cultural organizations like Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi. Azad was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1992 for his contributions as a freedom fighter and educationist.