Teachers’ Day 2024: 7 interesting facts about Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Teachers' Day, celebrated across India, is observed every year on September 5, the birth anniversary of India’s first Vice-President and the second President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

He was an eminent scholar, teacher and renowned philosopher. 

When Dr Radhakrishnan served as the President from 1962 to 1967, his students and friends had requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday on September 5. 

To which he did not agree but he suggested that the day can be celebrated as the Teachers' Day.

Since 1962, Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 5 September every year.

Dr Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu. His father and mother were Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma.

He was married to Sivakamu, and had six children – 5 daughters and 1 son.

Here are some interesting facts about Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan –

1– Throughout his academic life, Dr Radhakrishnan got scholarships for studies.

He studied at Voorhees College in Vellore and Madras Christian College, Madras.

In 1906, he completed his Master's in Philosophy and became a professor.

2–Before India’s independence, he was addressed as Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan because he was Knighted in 1931.

After the independence, he came to be known as Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. 

Dr Radhakrishnan was also named as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford in 1936. 

3– In 1946, Dr Radhakrishnan was elected to the Constituent Assembly. He also served as ambassador to UNESCO and later to Moscow. 

4– Dr Radhakrishnan became the first Vice President of India in 1952 and the second President of India in 1962.

5– In 1954, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the highest honour of the country. In 1963, he was awarded with the Order of Merit and the Templeton Prize in 1975.

6– From 1931 to 1936, Dr Radhakrishnan was the Vice-Chancellor at Andhra University, and from 1939 to 1948 at Banaras Hindu University. 

He was the Chancellor at Delhi University from 1953 to 1962.

7– When he became the President of India, he accepted only ₹2,500 out of ₹10,000 salary and the remaining amount was donated to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund every month.