Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan


(Birth: Sep. 5, 1888, Tiruttani, in modern Tamil Nadu; Death: April 17, 1975, Madras, now known as Chennai)

Radhakrishnan, an eminent philosopher and a wise, experienced and respected political leader of India has served India as its first Vice-President from 1952 to 1962 and later as the second President from 1962-1967.

Education: As born into a poor Telugu Brahmin family, Radhakrishnan received most of his education on scholarship. His primary education was at Primary Board High School at Tirutani. In 1896 he moved to the Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheral Mission School in Tirupati. He graduated from the Madras Christian College majoring in philosophy in the year 1906, where he taught as an assistant lecturer.

Profession:
1918 – 1921: served at Mysore universities as a professor of philosophy
1921 – 1931; 1937 – 41: Joined Calcutta University and continued the same profession
1931 – 1936: Vice chancellor of Andhra University
1936 – 1952: He act as a professor of Eastern religions and ethics at University of Oxford
1939 – 1948: Vice chancellor of Banaras Hindu University
1948 – 1949: He was elected chairman of UNESCO’s executive board
1949 – 1952: Served as Indian ambassador to the then Soviet Union
1953 – 1962: Chancellor of the University of Delhi
May 11, 1962: Radhakrishnan was elected president of India

His own publications:
Radhakrishnan has authored several books on Philosophy, i.e. The Hindu View of Life (1926), An Idealist View of Life (1929), Eastern Religions and Western Thought (1939), Religion and Society (1947), The Principal Upanishads (1953), A Source Book in Indian Philosophy (1957), Indian Philosophy(1923) etc.

In India, 5 September the birth date of Radhakrishnany is celebrated as Teacher’s Day.