Every year, September 5 is celebrated as Teachers’ Day to honour and pay tributes to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, an exemplary teacher, philosopher, and statesman whose life embodies the idea that education is not just about passing information, but about illumination of minds. On this day, students express gratitude to their mentors and society acknowledges the transformative role played by teachers in shaping the moral and intellectual fabric of our society and our nation. But even as the celebrations will come and go, it is essential to reflect on the larger question: what makes a teacher truly great? The answer is not just the transmission of knowledge, but in the values they instill in students. In today’s world, where technological advancements have placed information at everyone’s screens, the role of the teacher has become more important and complex. They are no longer mere providers of facts; instead, they are guides who help students navigate the ocean of knowledge with a compass of values. Without honesty, empathy, discipline, and respect, education risks being reduced to a hollow pursuit of marks, degrees, and jobs. A society where success is measured only in material terms, without the foundation of values, risks creating individuals who may be skilled but lack conscience. Teachers are the custodians of these values. They inspire integrity by example, nurture curiosity without arrogance, and teach students the importance of humility in achievement. When a teacher instills respect for diversity, compassion for the weak, or resilience in adversity among students, they are shaping not just a student’s career but their character. Such virtues can’t be downloaded from an app or replaced by artificial intelligence—they require the human warmth and lived example of a mentor. In today’s world when headlines are often dominated by stories of intolerance, greed, and corruption, the importance of teachers as moral anchors becomes even more evident who can sow the seeds of honesty where deceit thrives, of cooperation where division festers, and of empathy where indifference reigns. By nurturing values alongside knowledge in them, teachers ensure that future generations do not merely excel but also uplift. Teachers’ Day, therefore, should not be limited to a token of appreciation or ceremonial felicitation. It should be an occasion to recommit to the idea that education is incomplete without values. It should remind us that the true measure of a teacher’s legacy is not in the number of doctors, engineers, lawyers, journalists or scholars they produce, but in the kind of human beings those professionals become.