• Teachers’ Day in India is celebrated on September 5 on the birth anniversary of former President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Teachers’ Day in India is celebrated on 5th September to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was a renowned scholar, recipient of Bharat Ratna, first Vice- President, and second President of independent India. He was born on 5 September, 1888. As an educationist, he was an advocate of edification and was a distinguished envoy, academician, and above all a great teacher. A great philosopher and a statesman, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan played a vital role in enhancing India’s educational system.

Born in 1882, in a town called Tirutani in Andhra Pradesh, his father wanted him to take on the role of a priest. But his talents brought him to join schools in Tirupati and Vellore and he eventually joined prestigious Christian College, Madras, in order to study philosophy. He believed that the study of Indian philosophy and its interpretation in western terms would cast off imperial inferiority complex and give countrymen a new sense of esteem. His popularity among students was at the peak at the Presidency College in Madras and the University of Calcutta, where he served as a professor. He later served as the Vice Chancellor of both Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University and was recognised by Oxford University when he was called to fill the Chair of Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions. In 1939, he was elected Fellow of the British Academy. Dr Radhakrishnan was ambassador to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1949 to 1952 and became Vice President of India from 1952 and in 1962, he choosen as the second President of India. Also, in order to celebrate his esteemed position, his students suggested that his birthday to be celebrated as ‘Radhakrishnan Day’. However, he declined this move and suggested that “Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud priviledge if September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day.” “He has served his country in many capacities. But above all, he is a great teacher from whom all of us have learnt much and will continue to learn. It is India’s peculiar privilege to have a great philosopher, a great educationist and a great humanist as her President,” Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once said on Radhakrishnan.

Professional Life

In 1918, Doctor Radhakrishnan was appointed as the Professor of Philosophy, in the University of Mysore. Three years later, he was appointed as a Professor to King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science in the University of Calcutta. Dr. Radhakrishnan even represented the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the Universities of the British Empire in June 1926 and the International Congress of Philosophy at the Harvard University in September 1926. In 1929, Dr. Radhakrishnan was invited to take the post vacated by Principal J. Estin Carpenter, in Manchester College, Oxford.In Oxford, Dr. Radhakrishnan lectured the students on Comparative Religion. From 1936-39, he served as the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University. In 1939, he was elected Fellow of the British Academy. From 1939-48, he was the Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University. He later held offices that dealt with India’s national and international affairs. He was the leader of the Indian delegation to UNESCO during 1946-52. Dr. Radhakrishnan served as the Ambassador of India to U.S.S.R. during 1949-52. He was also a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.

His Works

Dr. Radhakrishnan penned down a number of books during his lifetime, some of which are like The Hindu View of Life, The Idealist View of Life, Religion and Society, Eastern Religions and Western Thought and A Source Book in Indian Philosophy. He had also written for some of the most reputed international journals.

Presidency of India

Dr. Radhakrishnan was the Vice-President of India from 1952 to 1962 and the President, General Conference of UNESCO, from 1952 to 1954. He held the office of the Chancellor, University of Delhi, from 1953-62. In May 1962, Dr. Radhakrishnan became the President of India, a post he served till May 1967. He was honored with Bharat Ratna in 1954. He was also knighted by the British government in the year 1931, but, he used only his academic title ‘Doctor’ throughout his life.

Contribution towards Indian Education: Just after Independence Dr. Radhakrishnan Chaired the University Education Commission in 1948-49. As Erich Fromm told “Education makes machines which act like men and produces men who act like machines,” he realized that our Education system does not appear to fulfill the true aim of education. He said, “The three things- vital dynamism, intellectual efficiency and spiritual direction together constitute the proper aim of education. Moral and spiritual training is an essential part of education.

Enfranchisement of the mind, freedom from prejudice and fanaticism, and courage are essential. What we need today is the education of the whole man- physical, vital, mental, intellectual and spiritual. If education is to help us to meet the moral challenge of the age and play its part in the life of the community, it should be liberating and life giving. It must give a basic meaning to personality and existence and equip us with the power to overcome spiritual inertia and foster spiritual sensitivity Seat of learning should produce men and women who will move together to develop common ideals and purposes, love each other and co-exist to create a co-operative common wealth.”

Radhakrishnan had also strongly recommended the teaching of spiritual and ethical aspects of the religions as it is evident in the report of the University education commission of which he was the Chairman. The report maintained that: “Unless morality is taken in a larger sense it is not enough. If we exclude the spiritual training in our institutions, we would have to be untrue to our whole historical development. To be secular is not to be religiously illiterate. It is to be deeply spiritual and not narrowly religious.” To enable students to become enlightened civilized citizen, he used to lay stress on the need of ethical teaching while addressing them.

Significance of celebrating Teachers’ Day

The Radhakrishnan Commission’s suggestions helped mould the education system for India’s needs. Dr Radhakhrishnan believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”. Teachers Day is the only occasion when we remember the time spent with our teacher, what they taught and what we are today. Teacher guides us towards the success in every aspect of life. Teachers are the prime movers who commit their whole life to the welfare of the youth; hence they are the greatest builders of a society or a nation. If we are proud of our country, our progress, our wealth and power, then we should be proud of our teachers.

When Dr APJ Abdul Kalam became President of India, he located his centenarian class VIII science teacher Siva Subramania Iyer (who had changed his life with a lesson on how birds fly) in Tamil Nadu and put him on stage with him to share his honour. Dr Kalam said, “The launch of the rocket is most crucial. If it is given the right take-off, it can reach the moon. The teacher is the launching pad of every great person who reaches for the sky.” Dr. Manmohan Singh said, “Through teachers, flow the values and culture of a nation and its people,”On this day, we gratefully remember the great educationist, apart from honoring all the teachers that have made our life much more knowledgeable and fulfilled, as serving as our beacons of light.