Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan; (5 September

1888 – 17 April 1975) was an Indian

philosopher and politician who served
as the 2nd President of India from 1962
to 1967 and 1st Vice President of India
from 1952 to 1962. He was also the 2nd
Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union
from 1949 to 1952 & 4th Vice-Chancellor
of Banaras Hindu University from 1939
to 1948.

One of the most distinguished

twentieth-century scholars of
comparative religion and philosophy,
Radhakrishnan held the King George V
Chair of Mental and Moral Science at
the University of Calcutta from 1921 to
1932 and the Spalding Chair of Eastern
Religion and Ethics at the University of
Oxford from 1936 to 1952.

 Radhakrishnan's philosophy was grounded in

Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition
for a contemporary understanding. He defended
Hinduism against what he called "uninformed
Western criticism", contributing to the
formation of modern Hindu identity.[6] He has
been influential in shaping the understanding of
Hinduism in India and the West and earned a
reputation as a bridge-builder between India
and the West.

Radhakrishnan was awarded several high

awards, 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
one of the founders of Helpage India, a non-
profit organisation for the elderly
underprivileged in India. Radhakrishnan
believed that "teachers should be the best
minds in the country". Since 1962, his birthday
has been celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on
5 September every year.