Teachers' Day 2025: 7 lesser-known facts you didn’t know about Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Teachers' Day 2025: 7 lesser-known facts you didn’t know about Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
These lesser-known facts reflect the multifaceted legacy of Dr Radhakrishnan as an educator, diplomat, and philosopher who profoundly shaped modern India. He was knighted by King George V for his contributions to education, he was the first Indian to be appointed Professor at Oxford.
Oxford's first Indian Professor of Eastern religions and ethics: Dr Radhakrishnan was appointed Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford in 1936, becoming one of the first Indians to hold such a prestigious position in the West. He was invited to teach as a guest lecturer at Manchester College in Oxford in 1929, a landmark event as he was the first Indian to hold a professorial position at the prestigious institution.
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Multiple Nobel Prize nominations: Radhakrishnan was nominated 27 times for the Nobel Prize- 16 times for Literature and 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize- highlighting international recognition of his intellectual contributions.
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Founder of Helpage India: Besides Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's academic career, he founded Helpage India, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting elderly and underprivileged people.
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First Ambassador to the Soviet Union: Before becoming Vice President and President of India, Radhakrishnan served as India’s first ambassador to the USSR from 1949 to 1952.
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Suggested Teachers’ Day celebration: When students wanted to celebrate his birthday, he humbly suggested that September 5 should be celebrated as Teachers’ Day instead, to honour teachers across India rather than himself.
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Knighted but declined title post-Independence: He was knighted by the British in 1931 but declined to use the title after India gained independence. In 1931, King George V bestowed the honour of a knighthood upon Dr Radhakrishnan in recognition of his exceptional contributions to education and academia.
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Philosopher and defender of Hinduism in the West: Radhakrishnan was a highly respected philosopher who worked to explain and defend Hindu philosophy, particularly Advaita Vedanta, to both Indian and Western audiences, serving as a bridge between cultures.
