50 yrs later, Prez dons the teacher’s hat again

President Pranab Mukherjee will do what he did over 50 years ago — teach. In 1963, he taught in a small college near Kolkata, and on Friday, on the eve of Teachers’ Day, he will teach students of a Delhi government school.

Mukherjee will teach 60 students from Class 11 and 12 at the Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in the President’s Estate. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had invited Mukherjee to interact with the students on the occasion, but the President said he would rather teach them.

Teachers’ Day is celebrated across the country on September 5, on the birth anniversary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s first Vice-President and second President who was also an academic and a philosopher.

In his multifaceted career, Mukherjee taught in a college near Kolkata. Sisodia on Thursday visited the school to check the preparations. The Delhi government said Mukherjee will also interact with the teachers.

“The President’s class will start at 11.55 am and is expected to conclude at 12.55 pm. His interaction with the teachers will begin at 1 pm and will conclude at 1.45 pm,” Delhi government said.