Teachers’ Day 2021: Date, history, significance and celebration in India

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized 5th October as World Teachers' Day in 1994, But teacher’s day is celebrated on different days and dates at different parts of the world In India 5th September is celebrated as Teachers’ day this day is marked as the birth date of the former Indian President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan which is now observed the day to celebrate the contributions of the teachers in shaping this society.
Teachers’ day now is celebrated all over India on this date, the day in according to Radhakrishnan’s wish isn't marked as a holiday but rather celebrated in schools, colleges, and various educational institutions as a day to give tribute to the teachers, on this day students conduct various celebratory events like dancing, singing, making cards, offering presents and sharing flowers to thank their teachers for their work all over the year, senior students also dress up and participate in mock teaching events thus understand the strength required to manage a class of 50 or more young eager minds and even if we can’t thank our teachers enough for their services to the society even in the time of this global pandemic of Covid-19 virus, students and teachers have celebrated this day by organizing similar fun and interactive events on virtual meets and social media platforms.
Dr. Radhakrishnan was born on 5th September 1888 in a Brahmin family of Tiruttani, Andhra Pradesh, according to a few sources his father wanted him to become a priest but from the very beginning he was an incredible student and later also became an exemplary teacher of Philosophy (ethics); he dedicated his entire life to education and served as the 1st Vice President and 2nd President of India, he is also credited in contributing to bring the Hindu thoughts/ideas and challenging the implied superiority of the Western culture, however, certain misinterpretations were carried of his words and speeches due to his firm believe in Hinduism.
Dr. Radhakrishnan had always been a popular teacher among his fellow students and he worked in various renowned National and International institutions like Oxford, Andhra University, and Banaras University, it is a widely accepted fact that due to his teaching skills and command over the subject he during the teaching tenure inspired thousands of students to study and opt for philosophy as a subject.
Later when he took the office as the second president of the country in 1962, his students gathered to seek his permission to celebrate 5th September as a special day to which he said that “Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5th is observed as Teacher’s day” from then since this day is marked as a day to thank and appreciate the shapers of this society or The Teachers.
 Dr. Radhakrishnan was honored with several awards during his lifetime, one of the greatest awards includes Bharat Ratna, and he was also nominated 11 times for the Noble prize in peace and 16 times for the Noble prize in literature.
He later passed away on 17th April 1975 at the age of 86 years due to heart failure in a nursing home in Chennai, India. But even today after approx 45 completed years of his death, he is reorganized as one of the best teachers the country and the world have ever seen.
According to him “A life of Joy and Happiness is possible only based on knowledge”
This is true even in today’s context as even when India is a fast developing nation it is facing the problem of poverty which can be resolved only by the quality education and skill development thus will increase the quality of life in the country.
Thus we can say that the best way to celebrate Dr. Radhakrishnan’s birthday or Teacher’s day is to thank our teachers for making us capable enough to read and write and also pledge to educate at least one needy child every year, as it said by the famous World leader and the man called as the father of India M.K. Gandhi that “If we want to reach real peace in this world, we should start educating children.”