680) Dr. S Radhakrishnan: 125th Birth Anniversary (1888 - 2013): A commemorative coin of Rs.10/- (Rupees Ten) issued by the India Government Mint, Hyderabad on 04.09.2015:
Th Cover of the Coin Album is titled "Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Ki 125Vin Jayanti 1888-2013" (in Hindi) and "125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan 1888-2013" (in English). On the top is mentioned "Smarak Sikka" (in Hindi) and "Commemorative Coin" (in English).
Page 2 of the Coin Album gives a brief description about the life of Dr. S Radhakrishnan:
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5th September 1888 in a village near Thiruttani in Tamil Nadu. His father's name was S. Veeraswami and his mother's name was S. Sitamma.
His early years were spent in Thiruttani and Tirupati. He completed his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Madras Christian College. He was a great personality and a famous teacher, philosopher and author.
He was very good in academics and taught Philosophy in the Universities of Andhra Pradesh, Mysore and Calcutta. He worked as Vice Chancellor at Andhra University and Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University. He was also appointed as Ambassador to UNESCO in 1946 and Ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1949.
He became the first Vice-President of India from 1952 to 1962 and President of India from 1962 to 1967. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954 along with C. Rajagopalachari and C.V. Raman.
He believed that "Teachers should be the best minds in the country". Since 1962, his birthday 5th September is celebrated in India as "Teacher's Day".
After serving the country through his great works, he passed away on 17th April 1975.
The Government of India has released this Commemorative Coin on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on 4th September 2015.
Page 3 of the Coin Album shows the Obverse of the Rs.10/- Coin and gives a brief description of the partial specifications of the Coin both in Hindi and English. It also contains an image of Dr. Radhakrishnan sitting on an "Asana" ("seat") and contemplating/meditating.
The partial specifications of the Rs.10/- coin given on this page are as under:
Denomination of the coin: Rs.10/-; Metal Composition: Outer Ring: (Aluminium Bronze) - Copper 92%, Aluminium 6%, Nickel 2 %; Centre-Piece: (Copper-Nickel) - Copper 75%, Nickel 25%.
The Obverse of the Rs.10/- coin on a stand-alone basis
It shows the name of the issuing country "Bharat" (in Hindi) and "India" (in English) on the centre left and right peripheries respectively. The Emblem of the Government of India which is the Lion Capitol of the legendary "Samrat" (Emperor) Ashok of Ancient India is on top in the centre-piece, together with the legend "Satyameva Jayate" (meaning "Truth Always Prevails"). At the extreme bottom is the denomination of the coin "Rs.10/-" in numerals.
Page 4 of the Coin Album shows the Reverse of the Rs.10/- Coin and shows a portrait of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. There is a brief description of the remaining specifications of this coin in both Hindi and English. It also contains a photograph of Dr. Radhakrishnan taking an oath office as President of India. There is an image of a 60 Paise Stamp issued on Dr. Radhakrishnan by India post in 1989.
The partial specifications of the Rs.10/- coin given on this page are as under:
Rs.10/- (Bimetallic); Dimensions: Diameter: 27.0 mm; Weight: 7.71 grams.
The Reverse of the Rs.10/- coin on a stand-alone basis
It shows a portrait of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the centre-piece. Below his portrait is mentioned the year of issue "2015", below which is the five pointed Star Mint Mark of the Hyderabad Mint.
On the upper periphery is inscribed "Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Ki 125 Vin Jayanti" (in Hindi) and on the lower periphery "125th Birth anniversary of Dr. S Radhakrishnan" (in English).
Page 5 of the Coin Album shows a portrait of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan at bottom left and an image of the Reverse of the coin showing the same portrait of Dr. Radakrishnan on top right.
More about Dr.S. Radhakrishnan (05.09.1888 - 17.04.1975):
He was one of the most distinguished scholars of the 20th Century of comparative religion and philosophy.
He was born in village Thiruttani in the erstwhile Chittoor district of the Madras Presidency near the border of the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
As his forefathers were from Sarvepalli, ( a village about 15 miles from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, his surname was "Sarvepalli" in keeping with an age-old custom.
His academic appointments included Professor of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College (1909-1917), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore (1918-1921) where he taught at its Maharaja's College, Mysore, 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 the University of Oxford (1936-1952).
He wrote many articles in journals of repute like - The Quest, Journal of Philosophy and the International Journal of Ethics.
He authored several books, including - The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore (1918), Indian Philosophy (1923), The Hindu View of Life (1926), An Idealist View of Life (1929), Eastern Religions and Western Thought (1939), Religion and Society (1947), The Bhagwad Gita with an introductory essay, Sanskrit Text, English Translation and Notes (1948), The Dhammapada (1950), The Principal Upanishads (1953), Recovery of Faith (1956), A Source of Indian Philosophy (1957), Religion, Science & Culture (1968).
I have a copy of his "The Principal Upanishads" in my personal Library, which I had bought from a book-store in Mumbai in 2001.
He was one of the most prominent advocates of Neo-Vedanta. His meta-physics was rooted in Advaita Vedanta, which he re-interpreted for a contemporary understanding.
He started his political career quite late in life, after a successful academic career. His international authority preceded his political career. He was nominated to the League of Nations Committee for Intellectual Cooperation (1931), represented India at UNESCO (1946-52), became Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union (1952) was Vice President of India (1952-1962) and the second President of India (1962-1967).
He defended Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism" contributing to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity and was influential in shaping the understanding of Hinduism, in both India and the West and was a kind of "bridge-builder" between India and the West.
He was awarded several important awards during his life, including a knighthood (Knight Bachelor) in 1931, Fellow of the British Academy (1938), the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. In 1968, he was awarded the first Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer. In 1989, the "Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships" were instituted by Oxford University in his memory.
He was nominated 15 times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
He was one of the most distinguished scholars of the 20th Century of comparative religion and philosophy.
He was born in village Thiruttani in the erstwhile Chittoor district of the Madras Presidency near the border of the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
As his forefathers were from Sarvepalli, ( a village about 15 miles from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, his surname was "Sarvepalli" in keeping with an age-old custom.
His academic appointments included Professor of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College (1909-1917), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore (1918-1921) where he taught at its Maharaja's College, Mysore, 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 the University of Oxford (1936-1952).
He wrote many articles in journals of repute like - The Quest, Journal of Philosophy and the International Journal of Ethics.
He authored several books, including - The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore (1918), Indian Philosophy (1923), The Hindu View of Life (1926), An Idealist View of Life (1929), Eastern Religions and Western Thought (1939), Religion and Society (1947), The Bhagwad Gita with an introductory essay, Sanskrit Text, English Translation and Notes (1948), The Dhammapada (1950), The Principal Upanishads (1953), Recovery of Faith (1956), A Source of Indian Philosophy (1957), Religion, Science & Culture (1968).
I have a copy of his "The Principal Upanishads" in my personal Library, which I had bought from a book-store in Mumbai in 2001.
He was one of the most prominent advocates of Neo-Vedanta. His meta-physics was rooted in Advaita Vedanta, which he re-interpreted for a contemporary understanding.
He started his political career quite late in life, after a successful academic career. His international authority preceded his political career. He was nominated to the League of Nations Committee for Intellectual Cooperation (1931), represented India at UNESCO (1946-52), became Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union (1952) was Vice President of India (1952-1962) and the second President of India (1962-1967).
He defended Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism" contributing to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity and was influential in shaping the understanding of Hinduism, in both India and the West and was a kind of "bridge-builder" between India and the West.
He was awarded several important awards during his life, including a knighthood (Knight Bachelor) in 1931, Fellow of the British Academy (1938), the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. In 1968, he was awarded the first Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer. In 1989, the "Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships" were instituted by Oxford University in his memory.
He was nominated 15 times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and 11 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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