Happy Teachers Day 2021: Remembering Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, check interesting facts

Happy Teachers Day 2021 Wishes: Every year on 5 September, Teachers’ Day is celebrated across the country. The day is observed to recognise the hard work put in by educators, which include mentors or guru, professors and teachers.

As teachers play a vital role in every child’s life, on this day, students pay tribute to their teachers, thanking them for all their hard work and sharing their valuable learnings.

In schools, across the country, the day is celebrated with dance, song, creative programmes among others. The special occasion also marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Who was Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan?

He was a passionate teacher and his teaching career spanned for many years. He taught at Chennai’s Presidency College and Calcutta University; then he became the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra Pradesh University, Delhi University as well as the Banaras Hindu University. In 1936, he was called by Oxford to teach the subject ‘Eastern Religions and Ethics’. He taught there for about 16 years.

In 1947, when India achieved its independence, Dr Sarvepalli represented India at UNESCO (1946–52) and was later declared Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union, from 1949 to 1952. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1952. In 1954, he received the German ‘Order pour le Merite for Arts and Science’ and in 1961, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.

In 1952, Dr Sarvepalli was appointed as the first Vice President of India. Then, in 1962, he was appointed as the President of free India. He is touted to be one of the most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy. He passed away on April 16, 1975, in Chennai.

Interesting facts about Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan:

1. Dr Radhakrishnan was born into a middle-class Telugu family in Tiruttani town. As he grew up, he went on to become an ace student who won several scholarships.
2. He is considered one of the greatest philosophers in the history of India.
3. He studied in schools at Tirupati and then in Vellore.
4. For his higher education, Radhakrishnan pursued philosophy from the Christian College in Madras, now Chennai. After completing his degree, Radhakrishnan became a professor of philosophy at Madras Presidency College. Later he taught philosophy at the University of Mysore as well.
5. He was selected as the second president of India in 1962 and gladly served his duties till the year 1967. He was also nominated 16 times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and nearly 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
6. In the year 1948, Radhakrishnan was elected chairman of UNESCO’s executive board.
7. Few of his works include Gautama the Buddha, India and China, Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy among others.
8. India lost its renowned scholar on 16 April, 1975 in Chennai.