2nd President of India

In office
14 May 1962 – 13 May 1967

Prime Minister

Jawaharlal Nehru
Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting)
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting)
Indira Gandhi

Vice President

Zakir Hussain

Preceded by

Rajendra Prasad

Succeeded by

Zakir Hussain

1st Vice President of India

In office
26 January 1952 – 12 May 1962

President

Rajendra Prasad

Prime Minister

Jawaharlal Nehru

Succeeded by

Zakir Hussain

Personal details

Born

5 September 1888
Village near Thiruttani, Chittoor District, Madras Presidency, British India

Died

17 April 1975 (aged 86)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India

Political party

Independent

Spouse(s)

Sivakamu

Children

5 (daughters)
1 (son)

Alma mater

University of Madras

Profession

·         Philosopher

·         Professor

Awards

 Bharat Ratna (in 1954)

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan  listen (help·info) (5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975) was an Indian philosopher and statesman[1] who was the first Vice President of India (1952–1962) and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967.[web 1]

One of India’s most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy,[2][web 2] his academic appointments included professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore (1918-1921), the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921–1932) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford(1936–1952).

His philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding.[web 2] He defended Hinduism against “uninformed Western criticism”,[3] contributing to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity.[4] He has been influential in shaping the understanding of Hinduism, in both India and the west, and earned a reputation as a bridge-builder between India and the West.[5]

Radhakrishnan was awarded several high awards during his life, 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. Radhakrishnan believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”. Since 1962, his birthday is celebrated in India as Teachers’ Day