New Delhi: For the first time Teachers’ Day was celebrated in 1962 when Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan took over as the President of India, however he detested this move by his students and recommended his students to celebrate the same as Teachers’ Day rather than calling it “Radhakrishnan Day” to mark his birthday.
Dr. Radhakrishnan wanted Teachers’ Day to be celebrated as a mark of tribute to the greatest teachers of the country. Since then, September 5, his birthday, is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India.
Born in 1882 in a small village if Tirutani in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan pursued his education at reputed schools in Tirupati and Vellore and went on to study Philosophy in Christian College, Madras. He, later on, started teaching as a Professor at the Presidency College in Madras and the University of Calcutta. Amongst his students he was known as a reminiscent personality and was also very popular amongst them.
He also became the Vice Chancellor of Andhra University as well as Banaras Hindu University. He also has been given recognition by Oxford University when he occupied the Chair of Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions. In 1939, he was elected Fellow of the British Academy.
A teacher has a significant role in the making of an individual human being, in the making of a society, a nation and the world at large. A teacher’s job becomes mainly to inspire and enhance an individual as a human being, which has always been the main task. Any human activity is significant only if we are able to touch another life. That you can actually shape another life is a tremendous privilege.
Dr. Radhakrishnan was conferred Bharat Ratna in 1931, including scores of other highest civilian awards like Knighthood and the British Order of Merit. The teacher par excellence was also nominated eleven times for Nobel Peace Prize.
"A life of joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science” was famously said by the greatest teacher of India whose Birthday is dedicated to teachers all over India.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan breathed his last in 1975.
Despite the fact that more than a few decades have gone by, the day is celebrated with the same zeal and enthusiasm across India and students don’t miss to appreciate the contribution of their teachers in their life.
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