Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed his greetings to the teaching fraternity across the country on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.

The day is also being celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of former President of India and a scholar and teacher Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was born on this very day in 1888.

The Prime Minister took to Twitter on the occasion to acknowledge the role being played by teachers in the shaping of young minds. He particularly highlighted the contribution of teachers towards ensuring the continuation of student’s “education journey” amid Covid-19 pandemic.

“On Teachers’ Day, greetings to the entire teaching fraternity, which has always played a pivotal role in nurturing young minds. It is commendable how teachers have innovated and ensured the education journey of students continues in the COVID-19 times.

On Teachers’ Day, greetings to the entire teaching fraternity, which has always played a pivotal role in nurturing young minds. It is commendable how teachers have innovated and ensured the education journey of students continues in the COVID-19 times.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2021

I pay my respects to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti and recall his distinguished scholarship as well as contributions to our nation,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

I pay my respects to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti and recall his distinguished scholarship as well as contributions to our nation.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2021

Although Teachers’ Day is celebrated in countries across the world on different dates, the International teachers day falls on 5 October. It is observed to commemorate the “Teaching in Freedom” pact signed on October 5, 1966 at a special inter-governmental conference convened in Paris. UNESCO celebrates the day every year to encourage the teaching profession.

In India Teachers’ Day has a long tradition of celebration of the relation between a teacher and his pupil and vice versa. This tradition of student-teacher bonding has its genesis in India’s ancient Guru-Shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition. With time the observance of the tradition has assumed the form of a celebration by students who greet their teachers with flowers and chocolates on the day.

Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, highly revered as a teacher and a philosopher, was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1954. “The end product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature,” he had once said.

The celebration of Teachers’ Day was the brainchild of Dr Radhakrishnan. A story has it that once after he became the President of India in 1962, a section of his students approached him requesting him to let them celebrate 5 September, the day he was born, as a special day. Instead, he advised his students to celebrate the day as Teachers’ Day to acknowledge teachers’ contribution to society.