Teachers' Day
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
(5 Sept 1888 ~ 17 Apr 1975)
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in a Telugu-speaking family, in Tiruttani in erstwhile Madras Presidency. His family hailed from Sarvepalli in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.
In 1896 he moved to Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati and Government HSS, Walajapet.
He was awarded scholarships throughout his academic life. After securing first class in Arts class at Voorhees College in Vellore, he joined Madras Christian College at age 16. He graduated in 1907 and completed Masters too.
Being a financially constrained student, when a cousin graduated from the same college, he received his philosophy textbooks, it automatically decided his academics course.
He wrote thesis on 'The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions'. It was a reply to the charge that the Vedanta system had no room for ethics. Two professors, Rev. William Meston and Dr. Alfred George Hogg, commended his dissertation. His thesis was published when he was only 20.
In 1909, he was appointed to Department of Philosophy at Madras Presidency College. In 1918, he was selected as Professor of Philosophy by University of Mysore and taught at Maharaja's College, Mysore.
By that time he had written many articles for journals of repute like The Quest, Journal of Philosophy and International Journal of Ethics. He also completed his first book, The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. His second book, The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy was published in 1920.
He held King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at University of Calcutta from 1921-32 and Spalding Chair of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford from 1936-52.
He was Ambassador of India to Soviet Union from 1949-52 and Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from 1939-48. He served as first Vice President of India from 1952-62 and 2nd President of India from 1962-67.
His philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding. He defended Hinduism against what he called 'uninformed Western criticism'.
His many recognitions include a knighthood in 1931, Bharat Ratna in 1954 and honorary membership of British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. He was one of the founders of Helpage India, a non profit organisation for elderly underprivileged in India.
He believed that 'teachers should be the best minds in the country'. Since 1962, his birthday has been celebrated in India as Teachers' Day.
