Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888. at the pilgrim town of Tiruttani near Chennai.
He was the second son of a poor couple. It is said that his father did not want his son to learn English and wanted him to be a priest instead. However, the boy was so talented that his parents decided to send him to a school run by German Missionaries at Tirupati.
He went on to study philosophy at the Christian College. Madras and got a Master’s Degree in Arts. In April 1909 when he was only 20 years old, Radhakrishnan was appointed to the Department of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College. From then on he started teaching the profession on which he was to leave a lasting impression.
He became very popular with his students not only because of his knowledge but also because of his simple, yet interesting way of teaching. So popular was adhakrishnan that when he was leaving to join as a professor in Calcutta he was taken all the way from the Mysore University to the Railway Station in a flower decked carriage pulled by his students! Dr. Radhakrishnan was of the opinion that only the right kind of education could solve many ills of the society and the country. He wanted to bring in a change in the educational system by improving the quality of education and building up a strong relationship between the teacher and the taught. In his opinion, teachers should be the best minds of the country; they should not merely instruct but should gain the true affection of pupils, and the respect for teachers cannot be ordered but it should be earned.
In 1952 he was elected the Vice-President of India from 1952-1962. In May 1962, he became the President of India, a post he occupied for the next five years. Even as the president Sarvepalli remained a humble man. It was an open house at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and people from all sections of society were welcome to meet him. In addition he accepted only Rs. 2,500 out of his salary of Rs. 10.000 and donated the remaining amount to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund every month. He remained a teacher in many ways and even adopted the authoritative tone of a headmaster in many of his letters to his ministers!
Dr. Radhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated every year as Teachers’ Day. The celebration has an interesting story behind it. When he became the President of India in 1962, some of his fans approached Dr. Radhakrishnan and requested him to allow them to celebrate September 5, as his ‘birthday”. In reply Dr. Radhakiishnan said, -instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day”. The request showed Dr Radhakrishnan’s love for the teaching profession. From then onwards, the day has been observed as Teachers’ Day all over the country.
India’s highest award, the Bharat Ratna, was conferred on him in 1954 in recognition of his meritorious service to mankind. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan passed away on April 17, 1975.
His words will always be remembered “The aim of education is not the acquisition of information, although important, or acquisition of technical skills, though essential in modern society, but the development of that bent of mind, that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make us responsible citizens”.
