New Delhi: Country celebrates Teacher's Day on September 5 every year on the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Dr Radhakrishnan was one of the most influential scholars in the field of philosophy and religion during twentieth century.
He was the first Vice President and second President of India. He served as the President of the country for one year.
Dr Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888. Since 1962, this day is celebrated as Teacher's Day. He has major contribution in the formation of contemporary Hindu identity.
On his birthday, when his friends and family insisted to celebrate it, he replied "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers' Day." Thus, the day is celebrated as Teacher's Day.
Dr Radhakrishnan was born in a Telugu naidu family in a village at the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. He has always been good at academics and managed to earn scholarships. He graduated from Madras Christian College in 1906 and completed his master's degree in Philosophy.
Dr Radhakrishnan served the Department of Philosophy at madras Presidency College in 1909. Thereafter he taught the same subject to students of university of Mysore. He aslo used to write columns in newspaper and journals.
He is also the author of "The Philosophy of Rabindranath tagore" and "The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy." He was the one to represent University of Calcutta at Congress of Universities in 1926 and also at International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University.
Dr Radhakrishnan was also invited to deliver the Hibbert lecture at Harris Manchester College, Oxford. He represented India at UNESCO after India gained Independence. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of India.
One of his famous quote used in many schools is "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or self confidence." He always believed that a good teacher is the one who remains a student all his life and in this process he not only learns from books but also from his students.
Radahkrishnan was born in a Telugu Niyogi Brahmin family in Tamil Nadu. Although his father was a subordinate revenue official in the service of a local zamindar, he did not want him to learn English to go to school. Instead he wanted Radhakrishnan to become a priest. It was later on that his father agreed to send him to a school in Tiruttani.
Radhakrishanan was loved and respected immensely by his students. He was also a popular figure among them that while he was leaving them to join as a professor in Calcutta, he was taken all the way from the Mysore University to the Railway Station in a flower decked carriage pulled by his students!
While in London, Dr Radhkrsihnan’s speech content and personality had mesmerized H N Spalding so much that he decided to found a chair at Oxford for Easter Religions and Ethics. The Trust continues to make grants for the study of the great religions till date.
The famous British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, social critic Bertrand Russell had once said that it would be a honour to philosophy if Radhkrishnan became the President of India. He said, “It is an honour to philosophy that Dr Radhakrishnan should be President of India and I, as a philosopher, take special pleasure in this.” He said this before he became the President of the country.
Considering his services and contribution to field on education in India, he was knighted by George V in the June 1931 Birthday Honours. However, he ceased to use the title after Indian independence preferring his academic title of ‘Doctor’ over it.
