Teachers’ Day 2026: From President to 27 Nobel nominations, know more about Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and how the tradition began

Teachers often influence much more than a student’s academic performance. Their lessons, guidance and criticism can shape how young people approach mistakes, responsibility and success. In India, Teachers’ Day is observed every year on September 5 to recognise that contribution. The date also marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher, academic, statesman and former President of India.

But the connection between his birthday and Teachers’ Day has a specific story behind it. When students and friends wanted to celebrate his birthday after he became President, Radhakrishnan reportedly suggested that the day would be better observed as Teachers’ Day instead, reflecting his belief in the importance of educators.

Why is Teachers’ Day celebrated on September 5?

Teachers’ Day in India is linked to Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday. When his students and friends wanted to organise a grand celebration for his birthday, he reportedly declined the idea and suggested that the occasion be used to honour teachers instead.


Radhakrishnan regarded educators as central to society and believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”. Since then, his birth anniversary has been observed as Teachers’ Day in India.

The occasion is therefore not simply a celebration of one individual. It also recognises the wider role teachers play in education and in shaping students’ lives.

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Why Radhakrishnan remains associated with teachers

The significance of Teachers’ Day lies in the connection between Radhakrishnan’s public legacy and his deep association with education.

His career moved from classrooms and university leadership to diplomacy, the Vice Presidency and the Presidency, yet his identity as an academic remained central to how he was remembered.

The decision to turn his birthday into a day dedicated to teachers reinforced that association. Rather than treating September 5 purely as a personal celebration, the occasion became a national reminder of the contribution educators make to society.

When and where was Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan born?

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in 1888 in Thiruttani, in present-day Tamil Nadu, to Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sithamma. He was the fourth of their six children.

His family traced its roots to Sarvepalli village in Nellore, now in Andhra Pradesh. His father worked as a subordinate revenue official for a local landlord.

Radhakrishnan later built a career that combined philosophy, teaching, public service and politics, eventually becoming one of India’s most prominent intellectual figures.

From teacher and philosopher to Vice President and President

Although Radhakrishnan later became a statesman and politician, education remained central to his career.

He served as the second Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936 and later became the fourth Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, a position he held from 1939 to 1948.

His academic career also included the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta from 1921 to 1932. From 1936 to 1952, he served as the Spalding Chair of Eastern Religion and Ethics at the University of Oxford.

Radhakrishnan was also invited in 1929 to take up the position vacated by Principal J. Estlin Carpenter at Manchester College. The role gave him an opportunity to lecture on Comparative Religion to students at Oxford.

He was later elected a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford.

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His political career took him from Moscow to the Rashtrapati Bhavan

Radhakrishnan’s public career extended beyond academia. He served as India’s second ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1949 to 1952.

He then became India’s first Vice President, serving from 1952 to 1962, before taking over as the country’s second President.

He also led India’s delegation to UNESCO and was elected chairman of UNESCO’s executive board in 1948.

Despite his political responsibilities, he continued to be regarded primarily as a scholar of philosophy and religion.

Radhakrishnan received Bharat Ratna and multiple international honours

In recognition of his contribution to the country, Radhakrishnan received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1954.

His career also brought several other honours, including the Templeton Prize and the Order of Merit. He was knighted by King George V during the June 1931 Birthday Honours, with the formal investiture taking place in April 1932 under the Governor-General of India, the Earl of Willingdon.

His academic standing was also reflected in his Nobel Prize nominations. He was nominated 27 times in total, including 16 nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature and 11 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Books written by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Radhakrishnan was also a prolific author whose work focused heavily on philosophy, religion and Indian thought.

Among his notable works are Indian Philosophy, published in two volumes between 1923 and 1927, The Philosophy of the Upanishads from 1924, and Eastern Religions and Western Thought, published in 1939.

His writings contributed to wider international interest in Indian philosophy and comparative religion.

Radhakrishnan married young and raised six children

At the age of 16, Radhakrishnan married Sivakamu, who was his distant cousin. Their marriage lasted 53 years, until her death in 1956.

The couple had five daughters and a son. Their descendants went on to work in fields including medicine, history, law and business.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman is a great-grandnephew of Radhakrishnan. Laxman said at an event in 2023 that he was related to Radhakrishnan through his mother’s side.

When did Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan die?

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan died on April 17, 1975, in Chennai at the age of 86.

His legacy continues to be remembered every September 5, when schools, colleges and students across India observe Teachers’ Day to acknowledge the educators who guide and influence them.

From his early academic career to his years as Vice President and President, Radhakrishnan’s life remained closely connected with education. That connection ultimately became the reason his birthday turned into one of India’s most widely recognised occasions for honouring teachers.