Saturday, September 5, 2009

Teacher's Day

Today is Teacher’s Day in India. It is observed in memory of our 2nd President Dr. S Radhakrishnan. Dr. S Radhakrishnan was born in the year 1888 in a well-known religious state in Chennai, then called Madras. He was the second son of Veera Samayya, a tehsildar in a zamindari. It was a middle-class, respectable Hindu Brahmin family.

He graduated with a Master's Degree in Arts from Madras University. In partial fulfilment for his M.A. degree, Radhakrishnan wrote a thesis on the ethics of the Vedanta titled "The Ethics of the Vedanta and Its Metaphysical Presuppositions", which was a reply to the charge that the Vedanta system had no room for ethics.

The Origin of Teacher's Day in India
Since 1962, 5th of September has been celebrated as Teacher's Day in India. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakhrishnan was a philosopher and a teacher par excellence. Some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday. In reply, Dr, Radhakrishnan said, "Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if September 5th is observed as Teacher's day". The request showed Dr.Radhakrishnan's love for the teaching profession. From then onwards, his birthday is observed as Teacher's Day in India.

In this connection I would like to place before you a First Day Cover and a Brochure issued by the Dept of Posts and Telegraph.
One of the photographs from the brochure is indeed rare as it shows the Past (1st), Present (2nd) and the Future (3rd) President of India.



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