Teachers' Day 2019: Day commemorates Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and expresses gratitude to all gurus; take quiz to test your knowledge

Every year on 5 September, Teachers’ Day is celebrated all across the country. It is a day that honours all the teachers and mentors — not just the academic ones, but also tutors or trainers in fields other than academics — and shows our gratitude towards their contributions in shaping our life.It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first vice-president and second president of Independent India. Since the year 1962, India has commemorated the same by paying tribute to its teachers and gurus with the Teachers’ Day. His contributions to the field of education have been exemplary. He was born on 5 September, 1888. He was also the author of The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, and had a master’s degree in philosophy and was responsible for attracting global attention to Indian philosophy. Radhakrishnan was awarded several times during his life, including a knighthood in 1931, the Bharat Ratna — the highest civilian award in India — in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. He was also nominated for the Nobel Prize 27 times, 16 times for the Nobel Prize in literature, and 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize. His career saw him work in Madras Presidency College, University of Mysore, University of Calcutta, University of Oxford and University of Chicago. He even represented the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the Universities of the British Empire and the International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University. He was also the Principal at the Harris Manchester College, Oxford and would lecture the University of Oxford students on Comparative Religion. [caption id=“attachment_7280801” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. News18.[/caption] Furthermore, he was one of the founders of Helpage India, a non-profit organisation for elderly underprivileged in India. The day is not to be confused with Guru Purnima, a more Hindu-Buddhist festival which also celebrates the student-teacher relationship. Teachers’ Day every year marks a day for the celebration of our gratitude for our teachers, and to thank them for shaping our world view, help us in our career, learn about the perceptions on people and society, and help uphold the moral values in life.