Editing Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (section)

==Political career==
{{See also|British Raj|Indian Independence Act 1947}}
[[File:President John F. Kennedy and President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan of India Exit White House.jpg|thumb|President of United States John F. Kennedy and President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (left), depart the White House following a meeting. Minister of External Affairs of India, Lakshmi N. Menon, walks behind President Kennedy at West Wing Entrance, White House, Washington, D.C., on 4 June 1963]]

Radhakrishnan started his political career "rather late in life", after his successful academic career.<ref name=brown153/> His international authority preceded his political career. He was one of those stalwarts who attended [[Andhra Mahasabha]] in 1928 where he seconded the idea of renaming Ceded Districts division of [[Madras Presidency]] as [[Rayalaseema]]. In 1931 he was nominated to the League of Nations [[International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation|Committee for Intellectual Cooperation]], where after "in Western eyes he was the recognized Hindu authority on Indian ideas and a persuasive interpreter of the role of Eastern institutions in contemporary society."<ref name=brown153/>

When India became independent in 1947,  Radhakrishnan represented India at [[UNESCO]] (1946–52) and was later [[Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union]], from 1949 to 1952. He was also elected to the [[Constituent Assembly of India]]. Radhakrishnan was elected as the first Vice President of India in 1952, and elected as the second President of India (1962–1967). Radhakrishnan did not have a background in the Congress Party, nor was he active in the [[Indian independence movement]]. He was the ''politician in shadow''.{{Explain|date=August 2020}} His motivation lay in his pride of [[Hindu culture]], and the defence of Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism".<ref name=brown153/> According to the historian Donald Mackenzie Brown,

{{blockquote|He had always defended Hindu culture against uninformed Western criticism and had symbolized the pride of Indians in their own intellectual traditions.<ref name=brown153/>}}

=== ''Teacher's Day'' ===

When Radhakrishnan became the President of India, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, on 5 September. He replied,<blockquote>Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5th is observed as Teachers' Day.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/philosopher-teacher-president-remembering-dr-s-radhakrishnan/life-as-a-teacher/slideshow/60374990.cms |title=Philosopher, teacher, president: Remembering Dr S Radhakrishnan |date=2017-09-05 |work=[[The Economic Times]] |access-date=2018-04-16 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=18 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018231134/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/philosopher-teacher-president-remembering-dr-s-radhakrishnan/life-as-a-teacher/slideshow/60374990.cms |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote>

His birthday has since been celebrated as [[Teachers' Day (India)|Teachers' Day]] in India.<ref group=web>{{cite web |url=http://www.festivalsofindia.in/td/index.aspx |title=Teachers' Day |publisher=Festivalsofindia.in |access-date=2 October 2012 |archive-date=30 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930072021/http://www.festivalsofindia.in/td/index.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Charity===
Along with [[G. D. Birla]] and some other social workers in the pre-independence era, Radhakrishnan formed the Krishnarpan Charity Trust.
[[File:State Visits by Dr S Radhakrishnan.png|thumb|As President of India, Radhakrishnan made 11 state visits including visits to both the US and the [[USSR]].<ref group=web>{{cite web|title=DETAILS OF MEDIA PERSONS ACCOMPANYING THE PRESIDENT IN HIS/HER VISITS ABROAD SINCE 1947 TO 2012|url=http://rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in/media_abroad.pdf|publisher=The President's Secretariat|access-date=5 June 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817094728/http://rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in/media_abroad.pdf|archive-date=17 August 2013}}</ref>]]