Dr. S. Radhakrishnan started his political career “rather late in life”, after his successful academic career. In 1931, he was nominated to the League of Nations Committee for intellectual Cooperation. When India became independent in 1947, Radhakrishnan represented the nation at the UNESCO from 1946 to 1952, and was later Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union, from 1949 to 1952.
Jawaharlal Nehru decided to send Dr. Radhakrishnan to Moscow as India’s ambassador. Many people criticized this decision, asking how a philosopher like him could be a good diplomat, and deal with the strong communist leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. But, Dr. Radhakrishnan managed to change the paradigm of India’s relationship with the Soviet Union, and developed a good rapport with Stalin.
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 in 1962. His tenure as the President was eventful. He faced some of the biggest challenges to India’s integrity – the deaths of two of Independent India’s wars, with China and Pakistan.
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