Teachers' Day 2021: Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna
Teachers' Day in India has always been a time to remember the contribution of teachers in our lives. The day, September 5, is an annual occasion filled with fervour when students write to their teachers and thank them for their support. The date marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first vice-president of India and the second president of the country. He was also an educator par excellence and highly regarded by his students.
During his tenure as the President of India, from 1962 to 1967, his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday on September 5. However, Dr Radhakrishnan denied such a pompous show. Instead, he said that it would be a privilege if the day was celebrated as Teachers' Day, to recognise the contribution of teachers in society.
Dr Radhakrishnan was born in Andhra Pradesh in 1888. He grew up to be a bright student. Later, he chose to become a professor of Philosophy in various esteemed Indian institutes like the Madras Presidency College, the University of Mysore and the University of Calcutta.
He was invited to give lectures at Manchester College, Oxford, and was also invited to be the principal there. His 1929 Hibbert Lecture at Manchester College was later printed in the book named An Idealist View of Life.
Dr Radhakrishnan was knighted with the title of ‘Sir' but he refused to use it after India's independence. He stuck to his academic title of ‘Doctor'.
He never really stopped being a teacher and educator in his life. Dr Radhakrishnan was nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize. In 1984, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.