48 teachers to receive National Teachers Awards 2026 from President Murmu today

President Droupadi Murmu will present the National Teachers Awards 2026 to 48 school teachers in New Delhi today, on Teachers' Day. The awardees reflect diverse work spanning tribal education, inclusion, technology and environmental learning.

In Short

• Awardees come from 27 states, seven Union Territories and central organisations
• Selection involved online nominations and scrutiny at district, state and national levels
• Profiles highlight tribal outreach, special education, digital learning and inclusion

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the National Teachers Awards 2026 on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, today, Teachers’ Day. The awardees have been selected from across the country for their contribution to improving school education and transforming the learning experiences of students.

The 48 awardees represent 27 states, seven Union Territories and six organisations of the Central Government. The group includes 26 male and 22 female teachers. The award ceremony will also feature short documentaries showcasing the work of each awardee.

The National Teachers Awards are organised annually by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education. The awards recognise teachers who have demonstrated innovation, commitment and sustained efforts to improve the quality of school education and enrich students' lives.

The 2026 selection followed a multi-stage process involving district, state and national-level scrutiny. Teachers were invited to submit their nominations online, after which shortlisted candidates underwent further selection and interaction with the independent national jury.

FROM TRIBAL CLASSROOMS TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, TEACHERS BRING DIFFERENT IDEAS TO LEARNING

The awardee profiles reflect the diverse challenges faced by teachers and the different ways in which they are responding to them.

In Assam, Rajesh Bordoloi, Assistant Teacher at Adarsha Tribal Higher Secondary School in Jorhat, has worked predominantly with first-generation Mishing tribal learners. His approach combines activity-based learning, ICT and multilingual strategies to make Social Science more accessible.

One of his initiatives, the “Each One Teach One” digital literacy project, turns students into digital mentors for their mothers, helping bridge a generational technology gap. He has also contributed to Social Science textbooks and DIKSHA content and led student campaigns against child marriage.

In Goa, special educator Mahadev Hanamant Shinde of Gujarati Samaj-Special School has spent nearly 29 years working in special and inclusive education. His work includes developing 14 activity sourcebooks, teacher handbooks and tablet-based digital learning resources for children with disabilities.

Shinde has also introduced initiatives such as hydrotherapy, home-based education and vocational training. His work extends beyond academics to adaptive sports: he coached the Indian Floor Hockey Team at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, where the team won four gold and one bronze medal. He has also mentored 14 international-level athletes who collectively won 13 medals for India.

Technology and low-cost innovation feature prominently in several other awardee profiles. Gujarat's Nitinkumar Mahendrakumar Pathak transformed a resource-constrained tribal government primary school by creating a 45-computer IT lab, a 7D VR/AR lab, an offline school server and a student journalism studio.

His QR Code Book project and COVID-era “Touchable PDFs” reached more than 112,000 students across Gujarat, while his students have participated in the National Children's Science Congress and secured ISRO training selections.

In Rajasthan, Biology lecturer Divyendu Sen has used low-cost technology to expand access to science education. His initiatives include a Virtual Biology Laboratory, AI-enabled Biology education and a QR-based botanical learning system. His mentorship through the IASC-NASA Asteroid Search Campaign helped students make 12 provisional main-belt asteroid discoveries.

Teachers have also used education to address environmental and social issues.

Manjari V Mahajan, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Bhaleth, in Himachal Pradesh, has promoted activity-based learning alongside waste management, composting, water conservation and biodiversity initiatives.

Under her leadership, the school secured the top position in Himachal Pradesh for the Environment Leadership Award in 2026 and received the Waste Warrior Award in 2025. Her school has also participated in Wipro Earthian projects and revived traditional Buggad Grass craft through workshops involving students and local artisans.

In Tripura, Ranjan Debnath, Vice Principal/Assistant Headmaster at PM SHRI Sabroom Girls Higher Secondary School, has combined digital learning with a focus on girls' education. His work includes smart classrooms, experiential projects and Eco-Club initiatives, while his mentorship has helped rural tribal girls secure state board top ranks and other recognitions.

The awardees also include teachers working to make learning more inclusive. Suman Goel, a primary teacher at GSKV Pooth Kalan in Delhi, has focused on ICT, e-content and low-cost teaching-learning material while strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy through hands-on learning.

Similarly, Purnima Mohanlal Patel of Government High School, Dalwada, Daman, has combined smart classrooms and low-cost teaching material with initiatives around science, environmental awareness, health, sports and community engagement. She has also worked as a Master Trainer in Social Science and foundational literacy and as a Balvatika Mentor Guide.

HOW THE 48 WERE SELECTED

The National Teachers Awards portal says the scheme was instituted in 1958 to recognise meritorious teachers working in primary, middle and secondary schools. The awards are presented on September 5 every year by the President or Vice-President of India.

For 2026, the selection process involved online self-nominations, scrutiny by district or regional and state or organisation-level committees, followed by assessment by an Independent National Jury. The final names were approved before the award ceremony scheduled for September 5.

The Ministry of Education has said the ceremony will be telecast live on Doordarshan and the SWAYAM PRABHA channels and streamed through the government's webcast platform.

The 48 school teachers are being recognised not for a single achievement but for a wide range of contributions — from improving foundational learning and bringing technology into classrooms to supporting children with disabilities, empowering girls, preserving tribal languages and traditions, promoting environmental awareness and helping students overcome social and geographical barriers.

A separate National Awards to Teachers 2026 ceremony will also recognise 21 teachers and faculty members from higher education institutions and polytechnics on Teachers’ Day.

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