Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Birthday: Know about India's second President

Teacher’s Day 2024: September 5 marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and his birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India. Radhakrishnan was a great philosopher, an illustrious statesman, the first Vice-President, and second President of independent India and yet, he always considered himself a teacher. 

Early life and education: 

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in a middle-class Telugu Brahmin family on September 5, 1888. He was an outstanding student and studied philosophy at Christian College, Madras. Radhakrishan was one of India's most distinguished 20th-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy. He was a Professor in philosophy at Mysore (1918-21) and Kolkata (1921-31, 1937-41) universities.

He was also a Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at the University of Oxford after which he became the first Indian to hold a professor chair at the University of Oxford. He was awarded several prestigious awards during his life, including the Bharat Ratna, highest civilian award in India in 1954 and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963.

He was the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. He was also one of the founders of Helpage India, a nonprofit organisation for elderly underprivileged in India.

Why is Teacher’s Day celebrated on September 5? 

Radhakrishnan believed that "Teachers should be the best minds in the country". Since 1962, his birthday has been celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on 5 September every year.

"Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day," Dr.Sarvepally Radhakrishnan had said.

In India, on Teachers Day, National Awards are given away to Teachers by the President of India in recognition of their services. The award is given as gratitude to teachers working in the primary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools. 

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s quotes on Teacher's Day 2024:

True teachers are those who help us think for ourselves

A literary genius, it is said, resembles all, though no one resembles him

Man is a paradoxical being- the constant glory and scandal of this world

Books are the means by which we build bridges between cultures

The end-product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature

Human life as we have it is only the raw material for Human life as it might be

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