Teachers' Day 2025: From Droupadi Murmu to Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Indian politicians who were also teachers

When Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan became the second President of India in 1962, his former students and colleagues wanted to celebrate his birthday. He humbly requested that instead of celebrating his birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if 5th September is observed as Teachers’ Day. There are other politicians who were served as teachers before joining full time politics: Here's a list

Droupadi Murmu, before entering politics, began her professional journey as a school teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre in Rairangpur, Odisha. Dedicated to holistic and value-based education, the school aligned with the ideals of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Murmu taught multiple subjects

Before entering politics, Manmohan Singh was a respected economist and professor. He taught economics at the prestigious Delhi School of Economics, where he influenced many students with his deep knowledge of economic theory and policy. He also held teaching positions at Panjab University.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, before his political career, briefly worked as a Hindi lecturer in colleges across Uttar Pradesh. This experience gave him a strong foundation in language and communication, skills that later helped him as a powerful orator and respected leader in Indian politics, eventually becoming Prime Minister.

Zakir Husain, the third President of India, was a distinguished educationist who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. His dedication to education and academic leadership greatly influenced India's educational reforms. His background helped him promote learning and cultural understanding throughout his presidency.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, former Prime Minister of India, began his career as a teacher. This early experience in education shaped his values and commitment to serving the nation. His background helped him connect with common people and guided his leadership during challenging times in India’s history.

K. Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, was not a teacher by profession but earned the title Kalvi Thanthai (Father of Education) for his significant contributions to education. He introduced major reforms that expanded access to schooling and improved literacy rates across the state.

Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, served as Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University at just 33. As an academic and professor, he was deeply involved in education before entering politics.

Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' did have a background in teaching before fully entering politics. He worked as a teacher and later became a professor of English literature at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (formerly known as Garhwal University) in Uttarakhand.