Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Life Facts, Biography, Education

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Facts About Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Dr. Sravepalli Radhakrishnan was the first Vice president and second president of independent India.
At the time of his becoming the president of India, Dr. Radhakrishnan chose to retain only Rs 2,500 from his monthly salary of Rs 10,000, generously donating the remaining sum to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in both 1936 and 1937.
Dr.Sravepalli Radhakrishnan was also known as the bridge builder between India and the West.
Very few people know that former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman is the great grand-nephew of Dr. Sravepalli Radhakrishnan.

Biography Of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

When we talk about Teacher’s Day, it is impossible to overlook the significance of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a well-known philosopher and politician was born on 05th September in 1888 in a poor Tamil family. He completed his early education in Tirupatti and then graduated from Madras Christian College. He was married to Sivakamu at a very early age. He received many awards for his contribution in the field of education. Delve into the article below to learn the facts about Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Who was Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan?

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) was an eminent Indian philosopher, scholar, and statesman who played a significant role in shaping modern India’s educational and political landscape. Dr. S Radhakrishnan was born to a Telugu Brahmin family in Tiruttani Tamil Nadu on 5th September 1888. He received his primary education at Tiruttani Primary School and then moved to the Hermannsburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati. And then, graduated from the Madras Christian College with a Masters’ degree in Philosophy.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Family

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnayya into a Brahmin family on September 05, 1888, in Sarvepalli Village, Andhra Pradesh. His father, Sarvepalli Veer Swami, served as a subordinate revenue official in the employ of a local Zamindar. At the age of 16, in May 1903, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan entered into matrimony with Sivakamu. Together, they raised a family of five daughters named Padmavati, Rukmini, Sushila, Sundari, and Shakuntala, as well as a son named Sarvepalli Gopal.

Dr. Radhakrishnan’s Academic Career

In 1909 he was appointed to the Department of Philosophy in the Madras Presidency College.
In 1918, he joined as a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore.
In 1921 Dr. Radhakrishnan was appointed as the professor of Philosophy at the University of Kolkata.
In June 1926, he represented the University of Kolkata at the Congress of the University of the British Empire.
In September 1926, Dr. Radhakrishnan represented the International College of Philosophy at Harvard University.
From 1931 to 1936, he served as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University.
In 1936, he was named the ‘Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at the University of Oxford and was elected as a Fellow of All Souls College.
In 1939, Dr. Radhakrishnan was invited by Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya to be the Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University, which he did till 1948.

Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan’s Political Career

In 1928, he participated in the Andhra Mahasabha and advocated for renaming the Ceded Districts division of the Madras Presidency as Rayalaseema.
In 1931, Radhakrishnan was appointed to the League of Nations Committee for Intellectual Cooperation, where he gained recognition as an expert on Hinduism and Indian ideas.
After Independence in 1947, Dr Radhakrishnan represented the country at UNESCO and later he served as the Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union from 1949-1952.
In 1952, he was elected as the First Vice President of India.
In 1962 Dr Radhakrishnan was elected as the second President of India.

Honors to Dr. Radhakrishnan

Dr. Radhakrishnan received several prestigious awards in recognition of his exceptional contributions Some of the awards received by Dr. Radhakrishnan are listed below.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was knighted by King George V in 1931 for his service in the field of education.
He was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954.
In 1968, he became the first person to receive the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.
Just a few months before his death in 1975, he received the Templeton Prize

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Death

On April 17, 1975, Dr. Radhakrishnan succumbed to Congestive Heart Failure in Madras, marking the end of a remarkable life devoted to philosophy, education, and public service. His legacy continues to inspire generations to come. He died at the age of 86.

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