Make a Fact-File and write the details of Dr. Radhakrishnan’s life as a student and about his career.Use the points 2
a. Full name
b. Date of Birth
c. Place of Birth
d. Economic status of Family
e. Name of school/college
f. Subjects he excelled in
g. Career Option taken up
h. Name of college/University
i. Other responsibilities taken up
Answers
1. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September, 1888 at Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu. His father and mother were Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma. His wife was Sivakamu and he was the father of five daughters and one son.
2. Throughout his academic life, he was awarded scholarships. He joined Voorhees College in Vellore but later he moved to the Madras Christian College at the age of 17. In 1906, he had completed his Master's degree in Philosophy and became the professor.
3. He was knighted in 1931 and since then till the attainment of Independence, he was addressed as Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. But after independence, he came to be known as Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. In 1936, he was named as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford. Also, elected as the Fellow of the All Souls College.
4. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1946. He served as the ambassador to UNESCO and later to Moscow.
5. In 1952, he became the first Vice President of India and in 1962, he became the second President of independent India.
6. He was awarded Bharat Ratna (the highest civilian award in India) in 1954. In 1954, he received the German “Order pour le Merite for Arts and Science” and in 1961 the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. In 1963, he also received the Order of Merit and in 1975, the Templeton prize for promoting the notion of “a universal reality of God that embraced love and wisdom for all people”. And amazing is that he had donated the entire prize money to Oxford University.
7. Do you know to join the University of Calcutta when Dr. Radhakrishnan was leaving Mysore University; the students of Mysore University took him to the station in a carriage which had been decorated with flowers.
8. From 1931-1936, he was the Vice-Chancellor at Andhra University, and from 1939-1948, he was the Vice-Chancellor at Banaras Hindu University. And at Delhi University, he was the Chancellor from 1953-1962.
9. Let us tell you that in the memory of Dr. Radhakrishnan, Oxford University started the Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships and the Radhakrishnan Memorial Award.
10. He had founded Helpage India which is a non-profit organisation for elderly underprivileged people.
11. Since 1962, Teachers' Day in India is celebrated on 5 September every year to pay tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary.
12. One more thing which we can't forget about him is that when he became the President of India, he accepted only Rs. 2500 out of Rs 10,000 salary and the remaining amount was donated to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund every month.
13. He died on 17 April, 1975.