Around the world, Indians are celebrating the delight of Teachers Day. Students are seen with utmost zeal and enthusiasm. Cribbing behind the backs of that stringent teacher or admiring your favorite one, we cannot skip the importance of teachers in our lives. On the occasion of Teachers’ Day let’s stir up our memory and pay heart-filled homage to the remarkable teacher of all times Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

1. Dr. Radhkrishanan belonged to a modest family with a weak financial background. He was from a small village on the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. His father was a subordinate revenue officer, yet never wanted him to learn English or attend school. Instead, he wanted him to be a priest. Though he finished his MA in Philosophy and his first book ‘Indian Philosophy’ became a classic literary masterpiece.

2. When he was just 20, he wrote a thesis on “The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions”. He assumed that his professor would be furious at him but instead he like it and his work was published too.

3. It was by chance that he studied the subject of philosophy. His cousin used to pass him his textbooks, which made him decide the subject he would acquire mastery in. Belonging to a lower caste family, he had to be adequate with what he got.

4. His son, Mr. Sarvepalli Gopal is a renowned historian while former Test Cricketer VVS Laxman is his great grand nephew.

5. In the loving memory of the teacher of India, Oxford, set up a scholarship by his name, known as “Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships”.

6. Overwhelmed with his services and widespread knowledge, in 1931 he was chosen as a Knight Bachelor. Though, after Independence he stopped using the title ‘Sir’ and embraced his academic title of ‘Doctor’.

7. In 1946, he was appointed as ambassador to UNESCO and later on as ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1949. As Chair of the Union Education Commission in 1948, he brought reforms in India’s education system.

8. In his lifetime he grabbed many prestigious awards. He was conferred with Bharat Ratna the highest civilian award of India. In 1961, he won the Peace Prize for the German Book Trade. In 1963, he got the British Order of Merit. He is the first person to get Sahitya Akademi fellowship, the highest award given by the Sahitya Akademi.

9.  A few months before his death, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan also received the Templeton Prize in 1975. But, he donated the entire prize money to Oxford University.

10.  When he became the President of India, his students wanted to celebrate his birthday. Listening to it he said, “Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers’ Day.”

 Ever since then, his birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day.

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