The Ministry of Education (MoE) is a central government institution in India responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. It was originally established in 1947 following India's independence, with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as the first Education Minister. The Ministry's core purpose is the planned development, expansion of access, and improvement of the quality of educational institutions across the country, while paying special attention to disadvantaged groups.
The Ministry's structure is divided into two main departments: the Department of School Education and Literacy, which handles primary, secondary, and adult education, and the Department of Higher Education, which oversees university-level and technical education. Its mechanism involves formulating the National Policy on Education and ensuring its implementation, providing financial aid through scholarships and loan subsidies, and encouraging international cooperation in education. The Department of Higher Education, for instance, works with the University Grants Commission (UGC) to grant 'deemed university' status to institutions under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
The Ministry has undergone a significant name change and reversal: in 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government renamed it the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) through the 174th amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, to emphasize a holistic approach to human development. The name was changed back to the Ministry of Education (MoE) on July 29, 2020, by the Union Cabinet, as part of the reforms introduced by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP 2020, which replaced the previous policy of 1986, is a major concept connected to the MoE, outlining the vision for the new education system.