Essay on Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Every Indian is familiar with the name of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was the first Vice President of India. Ironically, he is more remembered for being an excellent teacher than any of his political stint. In these essays, we will know about the life, academics, and achievements of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Short and Long Essay on Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in English

Here I’m presenting short and long essays on Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan under 120 words, 250 words, 400 words and 600 words limit for students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The language is kept simple so that every student can understand the essays properly.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as India’s first Vice-president and second president.

2) Apart from his political career, he was famous for being an excellent teacher.

3) On 5 September 1888 Wednesday, he was born to Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma.

4) He had a good academic career and started teaching when he was merely 21.

5) He was also designated as the first Vice-Chancellor of BHU (Banaras Hindu University).

6) He was a great teacher and hence his birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s Day.

7) Starting from Madras Presidency College, he taught in many renowned universities.

8) He graduated at an age of 18 and his thesis was published when he was 20.

9) He was also rewarded with prestigious awards like Bharat Ratna.

10) On 17 April 1975 Thursday, we lost this gem at Chennai.


Essay 1 (250 Words)

Introduction

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first Vice President of India, who also became the second President of India. But, his academic achievements were more commendable than his political success.

A Teacher at Heart

Dr. Radhakrishnan started his academic career in the Department of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College when he was merely 21 years old. From then on he taught in many prestigious universities throughout the country. He was also appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University.

During his complete academic career that lasted over three decades, he became extremely popular among his students. His popularity as a teacher was so much that almost every Indian student knew his name and teaching skills.

Politician in Shadow

Dr. Radhakrishnan was often referred to as the politician in shadow because he was not a political leader nor was much interested in politics. He was also not popular as a political leader but rather as a teacher and philosopher. His entry into political circles began when he was appointed to the Indian Constituent Assembly, which was constituted to draft the Constitution of India. His true passion remained with teaching and the universities that he had been associated with.

Conclusion

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a teacher at heart who at a point of time was involved in the politics of India, due to circumstances. He actually held non-political posts like the Vice President and the President of India and was completely different from other Indian political figures.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=UhJo9fPNRcc

Essay 2 (400 Words)

Introduction

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (5th September 1888 –17th April 1975) was a statesman, philosopher, academic and above all a loved and respected teacher. He was an ideal teacher and was highly respected by his students as well as by the students all over India.

Financially Constrained Childhood

Though his father was a subordinate revenue officer for the landlord of Tirupati, his financial condition was just enough to feed the family. Such was his financial condition that he took philosophy as a subject in graduation, because of the situation but not by choice. A cousin of Radhakrishnan, who graduated from the same college, gave his philosophy books to him. Therefore, Dr. Radhakrishnan decided to pursue philosophy academically instead of buying new books. The decision was affected by the financial constrained he was facing at the time.

An Excellent Academic Record

Dr. Radhakrishnan held an excellent track record throughout his academic career. He was awarded many scholarships as a student. He graduated from the Madras Christian College in 1906, at the young age of 18. Later he also did his post-graduation from the same college.

While pursuing his M.A. Degree, Dr. Radhakrishnan wrote a thesis – “The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions”. His thesis was highly applauded by his professors. The thesis was published when he was merely 20 years old.

A Respected Teacher

During his complete career, Dr. Radhakrishnan had been associated with many prestigious universities. His first appointment was to the Madras Presidency College as a Philosophy teacher. He moved on to become a Professor of Philosophy at the Mysore College. He was also associated with Harvard University and Manchester College, Oxford.

His students loved and respected him and always looked up to him as an ideal. On his birthday after becoming the President of India, he was meeting some of his well-wishers. His friends and students requested, to allow them to celebrate his birthday every year. Dr. Sarvepalli humbly declined but asked them to observe his birthday as Teacher’s Day instead; that way it will be grateful to all the teachers. This is the reason why Teacher’s Day is celebrated on his birthday on 5th September.

Conclusion

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan wasn’t only a political figure but also a teacher par excellence. He was more involved in academics than in politics. In his own words, politics was only secondary to his nature, while deep inside he always remained a teacher.

Essay on Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Essay 3 (600 Words)

Introduction

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a renowned Indian philosopher and statesman who served as independent India’s first Vice President and second President. He was also an acclaimed teacher and his birthday on 5th September is celebrated as Teacher’s Day.

Modest Childhood

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born to Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma on 5th September 1888. He was born in a native Telugu speaking Brahmin community in the town of Thiruttani, then in Madras presidency.

Father of Dr. Radhakrishnan worked for a local landlord as a revenue officer. He completed his primary education from Thiruttani Kendriya Vidyalaya. Later he moved on to study in Hermannsburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati and Government High Secondary School, Walajapet.

Political Career

Dr. Radhakrishnan had an excellent academic career and he taught in a number of prestigious institutes and also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Andhra University.

The political career of Dr. Radhakrishnan started late, around the age of 43 years. In 1931, he was nominated to the Committee for Intellectual Cooperation which was an advisory organization for the League of Nations. Its main objective was to promote international exchanges between scientists, researchers, teachers, and intellectuals.

This gave him international recognition as a representative of Hindu ideas and philosophy. After India gained independence, he was sent as India’s representative to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) from 1946-1952 and later as the Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1949 to 1952.

His excellent academic record and stint at the UNESCO and Russia got him elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. In 1952, he was elected as the Vice President of India and later he also served as the second President of India from 1962 to 1967.

An Advocate of Hindu Philosophy

Dr. Radhakrishnan played a vital role in the spread of the true meaning of Hindu philosophy to the western world. There was a lot of misconception about Hindu religious philosophy and the Indian way of life; Dr. Radhakrishnan was the only renowned Indian face in the international community who did a lot to clear this doubt and misconception.

He was highly successful in defending Indian philosophy on a global platform. Many of his writings have placed the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta at a dominating position in the world. The world began to understand the philosophy of Vedanta and Hinduism, due to the works of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Dr. Radhakrishnan functioned as a global representative of Hindu philosophy and tradition. Western society began to recognize Hinduism as a spiritual concept.

Many world philosophers have highly regarded Dr. Radhakrishnan for acting as a bridge between the West and East. In truth, Dr. Radhakrishnan had an excellent knowledge of both Indian as well as western traditions and philosophy, which has played a vital role in his acting as a bridge between the two worlds.

His excellent knowledge of both western and eastern world philosophies had made him feel at home even in the western world. For this reason, he had always held as the representative of Hindu philosophy to the rest of the world.

Some Famous Quotes

Some of the quotes of Dr. Radhakrishnan are so popular that they are still used today by philosophers, teachers, and intellectuals. Few of the known quotes are given below-

  • When we think we know, we cease to learn.
  • A life of happiness and joy is possible only on the basis of knowledge.
  • Reading a book gives us the habit of solitary reflection and true enjoyment.

Conclusion

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was more a philosopher and academic scholar than a politician. He is more remembered as a teacher, than as the Vice President and the President of India.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Q.1 When and where was Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan born?

Ans. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5th September 1888 in Tamil Nadu.

Q.2 When did Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan become the president of India?

Ans. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan became the president of India in 1962.

Q.3 Who was the first vice president of India?

Ans. The first vice president of India was Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Q.4 How many times Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was nominated for the noble prize?

Ans. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was nominated 27 times for a noble prize.

Q.5 How long did Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan serve as the vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University?

Ans. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as the vice-chancellor of BHU from 1939-1948.

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