President Murmu to honour 48 teachers with National Teachers Awards 2026 on Sep 5
From government schools in villages to Kendriya Vidyalayas and specialised institutions, 48 educators have been selected for the National Teachers Awards 2026. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards to the educators in New Delhi on September 5. The list spans states and Union Territories across India, with teachers recognised for their contribution to school education.
by India Today Education Desk · India TodayIn Short
- Awardees were chosen through district, state and national-level screening stages
- The list features 26 men and 22 women from schools nationwide
- Teachers represent 27 states, seven Union Territories and six central bodies
Every year on September 5, India observes National Teachers’ Day to honour educators and commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s second President and a distinguished scholar and teacher. The day celebrates the invaluable contribution of teachers in nurturing minds, inspiring students, and shaping the future generations of the nation.
This year, President of India Droupadi Murmu will confer the National Teachers Awards 2026 on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Teachers Day, September 5.
The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education organises the national-level awards every year to recognise teachers who have made a notable contribution to school education and the lives of their students.
In 2026, the 48 teachers were selected through a three-stage selection process at the district, state and national levels. The awardees come from 27 states, seven Union Territories and six organisations of the Central Government.
Of the 48 selected teachers, 26 are male and 22 are female.
FULL LIST OF 48 AWARDEES
| No. | Teacher | Place/State/Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | J Prakash Rao | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| 2 | Rajesh Kouluri | Andhra Pradesh |
| 3 | Yaku Tame | Arunachal Pradesh |
| 4 | Rajesh Bordoloi | Assam |
| 5 | Khushboo Kumari | Bihar |
| 6 | Pushpa Prasad | Bihar |
| 7 | Radha Rajesh | CISCE |
| 8 | Sangeeta Yadav | CBSE |
| 9 | Ravi Jaiswal | Chandigarh |
| 10 | Sunita Yadav | Chhattisgarh |
| 11 | Patel Purnima Mohanlal | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |
| 12 | Suman Goel | Delhi |
| 13 | Md. Zafar Alam | Eklavya Model Residential Schools |
| 14 | Mahadev Hanamant Shinde | Goa |
| 15 | NitinKumar Mahendrakumar Pathak | Gujarat |
| 16 | Anil Kaushik | Haryana |
| 17 | Manjari V Mahajan | Himachal Pradesh |
| 18 | Mohd Ayaz Raina | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 19 | Munmun Bhattacharjee | Jharkhand |
| 20 | Rathnakumari S | Karnataka |
| 21 | Amutha J | Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan |
| 22 | Dr Manisha Khetrapal | Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan |
| 23 | Sunil Kumar KP | Kerala |
| 24 | Mohd Mustafa Kumal | Ladakh |
| 25 | Dr Archana Shukla | Madhya Pradesh |
| 26 | Shailendra Pratap Singh | Madhya Pradesh |
| 27 | Dr Kavita Narsingrao Gitte | Maharashtra |
| 28 | Kunda Jayawant Bachhav | Maharashtra |
| 29 | Wanglembam Gobin Singh | Manipur |
| 30 | Lalnunmawii | Mizoram |
| 31 | R Ronald Meru | Nagaland |
| 32 | Vaibhav Vasantrao Kulkarni | Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti |
| 33 | Padaraj Umakanta Nayak | Odisha |
| 34 | Ganesan S | Puducherry |
| 35 | Dinesh Kumar | Punjab |
| 36 | Dr Divyendu Sen | Rajasthan |
| 37 | Dr Vartika Gulati | Rajasthan |
| 38 | Shivprasad Arvind Tingare | Sainik Schools |
| 39 | Sushma Tamang | Sikkim |
| 40 | Thanga Raj M | Tamil Nadu |
| 41 | Bhavani Bompelly | Telangana |
| 42 | Ranjan Debnath | Tripura |
| 43 | Dr Renu Tripathi | Uttar Pradesh |
| 44 | Dr Iftkhar Khan | Uttar Pradesh |
| 45 | Shalini Kushwaha | Uttar Pradesh |
| 46 | Gabar Singh | Uttarakhand |
| 47 | Palash Chowdhury | West Bengal |
| 48 | Santanu Patra | West Bengal |
The official awardee document lists the 48 teachers along with their respective states, Union Territories or organisations and schools.
FROM CLASSROOMS ACROSS INDIA
The National Teachers Awards are intended to recognise teachers for their commitment, hard work and contribution towards improving the quality of education.
The selection process began with online self-nominations. Eligible teachers were invited to apply through the Ministry of Education's portal between June 15 and July 20, 2026.
Short documentaries highlighting the work and achievements of each awardee will also be showcased during the ceremony.
The Ministry has said the awardees have been selected through a rigorous and transparent online process. The list is not arranged according to any order of merit.
HOW TO WATCH THE AWARDS
The Teachers Day event will be telecast live on Doordarshan and the Ministry of Education's SWAYAM PRABHA channels. It will also be streamed on the government's webcast platform and the Ministry's social media channels.
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