Every year September 5 is celebrated as Teachers' Day in the country. A day dedicated to teachers and their contributions in shaping one's life, it commemorates the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a Bharat Ratna recipient and the first Vice President and second President of independent India. Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888.
A revered academician, he was one of India's most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy. The author of The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, Dr Radhakrishnan had a master’s degree in philosophy and was responsible for attracting global attention to Indian philosophy.
His illustrious career saw him work in Madras Presidency College, University of Mysore, University of Calcutta, University of Oxford and University of Chicago.
Basing his philosophy on Advaita Vedanta, he defended Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism", thus contributing to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity. Notably, he was also one of the founders of Helpage India, a non-profit organisation for elderly underprivileged in India.
Teachers' Day is celebrated on his birthday since 1962, when he became the President of India and the day is marked with teachers and students reporting to school as usual but the usual activities and classes being replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance.
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