Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Biography, Early Life, Education And Career

Born on September 5, 1888 in Tirupati, India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan emerged as a prominent figure not only as a teacher but also as a distinguished academic and influential politician. His early life in an ordinary Brahmin family did not dissuade him; Instead, it fueled his determination to excel in academics.

His academic journey eventually took him to University of Oxford, where he served as a professor before achieving further heights in the field of education as the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University and Banaras Hindu University.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Early Life and Family

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in a Telugu speaking family to Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Seethamma. He was the middle child of three siblings, born in Tiruttani, North Arcot district of the former Madras Presidency, now part of Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu. His family hails from Sarvepalli, a village situated in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

He spent his early years in the cities of Tiruttani and Tirupati. His father was a subordinate revenue clerk in the service of a local landlord. At the age of 16, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan married Sivakamu, who was a distant relative of Savepalli.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Education:

K.V. The high school in Tiruttani served as the institution where he received his primary education. In 1896, he joined the Hermannsburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School located in Tirupati, as well as the Government Higher Secondary School in Walajapet. He did his high school education from Voorhees College, Vellore. After completing his elementary art classes at the age of 17, he became a student at Madras Christian College. In 1906, he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from this prestigious university.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Academic Career:

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan joined the Department of Philosophy at Madras Presidency College in April 1909. In 1918, the University of Mysore selected him as Professor of Philosophy, where he taught at the Maharaja’s College, Mysore. By that time, he had written several articles for prestigious journals such as The Quest, The Journal of Philosophy, and the International Journal of Ethics. He has also completed his first book titled The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore.

He considered Tagore’s philosophy to be “the true expression of the Indian spirit”. His second publication, titled The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy, was issued in 1920. In the year 1921, he was appointed as the Professor of Philosophy to the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Sciences at the University of Calcutta, West Bengal.  

In June 1926, he served as the representative of the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the Universities of the British Empire, followed by the International Congress of Philosophy held at Harvard University in September of the same year.

Another important academic engagement during this period was an invitation to deliver the Hibbert Lectures on Ideals of Life, which he delivered at Manchester College, Oxford in 1929 and later published as An Idealist View of Life.

In the year 1929, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan received an invitation to fill the position vacant by Principal J. Estlin Carpenter at Manchester College. This opportunity enabled him to deliver lectures on comparative religion to students at the University of Oxford.

He was knighted by George V in the June 1931 Birthday Honors for his services to education. In April 1932 he was formally appointed Governor-General of India, the Earl of Willingdon.

In 1939, he was invited to succeed Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya as Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Varanasi from January 1948 to January 1949.

Political Career of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan:

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan started his political career “relatively late” after a successful academic career. His international fame preceded his political career. He was one of the stalwarts who supported the renaming of the Ceded District Division of Madras Presidency to Rayalaseema in the Andhra Mahasabha in 1928.

He was nominated to the League of Nations Committee on Intellectual Cooperation in 1931, where he was recognized as a Hindu expert on Indian thought and an inspiring lecturer on the role of Eastern institutions in contemporary society.

When India gained independence in 1947, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan represented India at UNESCO (1946–52) and later served as India’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1949 to 1952. Similarly, he was also elected to serve in the Constituent Assembly of India.

He was elected the first Vice President of India in 1952 and the second President of India (1962–1967). He did not belong to the Congress Party, nor was he involved in the Indian independence movement. He was a shadowy politician motivated by his pride in Hindu culture and defense of Hinduism against “ignorant Western criticism”.

Teachers Day Tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan:

India celebrates Teachers’ Day every year on 5 September to pay tribute to the contribution of teachers to the society. This is the day when Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India, educationist, philosopher and Bharat Ratna recipient, was born in 5 September 1888. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a brilliant student who completed his education with the help of scholarships.

In 1962, when Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan became the second President of India, his students approached him seeking permission to celebrate 5 September as a special day in his honour. Instead, he proposed that September 5 be designated Teachers’ Day to honour the contributions of teachers to society. On this important occasion, the entire nation honours Dr. Radhakrishnan, an extraordinary teacher who was greatly respected by his students.

Also Read: India is Celebrating Teachers Day 2024 today on 5th September