Teachers are the guiding star to show the way for the students of any country. One such bright star was Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan always inspired the teachers not merely to teach the students but to gain their affection and develop an emotional bond with the students.

Radhakrishnan was born into a middle-class Telegu family in the small town of Tirutani in Tamil Nadu. Though his father objected to his learning English, nothing could stop him. At the age of 21, he took up the teaching profession as a teacher of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College.

He was interested in the physical sciences for his masters, but one of the reasons for taking Philosophy was the free textbooks he managed from his cousins.

At the age of 29, he became a full-time professor at the University of Calcutta. During his tenure in Calcutta, he met the noble laurette Rabindranath Tagore and chose to base his first book on him.

At the age of 32, he held the King George V Chair Of Mental and Moral Science and was invited to philosophy professor chairs in England. He also had the opportunity to work at Oxford.

During his time abroad he would leave no stone unturned to talk about India’s quest for freedom. After returning to India, he wrote various books which included Religion, The Heart of Hindustan etc.

Since the beginning of his teaching career in 1909 to 1948, he taught for an impressive 40 years. Such a brilliant teaching record did not go unrecognized and unnoticed. He was elected the Vice President of India in 1952, and then the President of India in 1962.

Though his personality resembled that of a stern teacher he was full of humour too. In 1962 when King of Greece visited India, Radhakrishnan greeted him by saying “Your Majesty, you are the first King of Greece to come as our guest. Alexander came uninvited! ”

Radhakrishnan was on a visit to China as India’s Vice President in 1957. On his arrival, Radhakrishnan was received at the door by Mao himself. After shaking hands Radhakrishnan surprised Mao by patting him on his cheek.
His name was nominated for Nobel Prize for 5 consecutive years. Though he did not win the Nobel Prize but he won the Bharat Ratna in 1954, a Knighthood from George V in 1931 and an honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. He would accept only Rs. 2,500 out of his presidential salary of Rs. 10,000 and donate the rest of the amount to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was popular among his own students, who wanted to celebrate his birthday, years after he had stopped teaching. But he appealed to the students to celebrate the day as Teacher’s Day.

On this very day let us remember his advice about education and teaching, and of building a strong relationship between the teacher and the taught