Teachers Day 2025: History, Significance, and Why India Celebrates on Sep 5

Every year on September 5, schools and colleges across India come alive with energy. From students preparing skits to handmade cards and senior students stepping into the role of teachers for a day, the celebrations are filled with warmth and gratitude. This date, however, is not chosen at random. It marks the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a philosopher, teacher, and the second President of India.

When his students once suggested celebrating his birthday, Radhakrishnan gently declined the idea. Instead, he asked them to dedicate the day to teachers everywhere. That single request set the foundation for Teachers’ Day in India, first celebrated in 1962, and still cherished today.

Dr Radhakrishnan was more than a scholar of global repute. He served at institutions like Mysore University and Calcutta University, and later became Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University. He was honoured with the Bharat Ratna and respected across the world. Yet what people remembered most about him was his generosity as a mentor and his ability to inspire. For him, teaching was not just about facts, but about building character and encouraging independent thought.

In today’s world, knowledge changes faster than ever, but the essence of a teacher remains timeless. Can we ever truly repay the patience of a teacher who explains a concept for the fifth time, or the one who pushes us to believe in ourselves when we are ready to give up? Probably not, but Teachers’ Day is our chance to at least say thank you.

The celebrations are symbolic, but they remind us of something larger. Behind every successful individual stands at least one teacher who shaped their journey. On September 5, when classrooms turn festive and students express their gratitude, it is a reminder that education is not only about lessons. It is about guidance, values, and the people who light the way forward.