Happiness lab, preventing child marriages: 82 educators conferred National Teachers Awards

NEW DELHI: Happiness lab, gamified assessments, home-based education visits, preventing child marriages and an automated school bell made of recycled materials are among the feats that have bagged National Teachers Awards for 82 teachers from across the country. The awards were conferred upon by President Droupadi Murmu here on Thursday.

The National Teachers Awards are conferred every year to celebrate the unique contribution of teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who, through their commitment and dedication, have not only improved the quality of education but also enriched the lives of their students.

Each award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs 50,000 and a silver medal. The awardees would also get an opportunity to interact with the prime minister. The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, has selected 50 teachers for this year’s National Teachers' Awards.

"They have been selected through a rigorous transparent and online three stages, -- district, state and national level selection process. The 50 selected teachers are from 28 states, three Union territories and six organizations. Out of 50 selected teachers, 34 are males, 16 are females, two are differently abled and one working with CWSN.

"In addition, 16 teachers from the Department of Higher Education and 16 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will also be awarded," a senior Ministry of Education official said. Last year, it was decided to institute two categories of awards for HEIs and Polytechnics while earlier the awards were limited to school teachers only.

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Chandralekha Damodar Mestri, a teacher at the Satyawati Soiru Angle Higher Secondary School, South Goa, has been awarded for bridging the language gap for her primarily first-generation learner students. She developed innovative, low-cost teaching aids and conducted home visits with books and stationery to foster a love of learning.

Sagar Chittaranjan Bagade, a teacher at Sou S. M. Lohia High School and Junior College, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, organized numerous social events to raise awareness on issues affecting orphans, tribals, young HIV patients, and individuals with disabilities. "He also arranged many folk dance and ballet performances providing students with international exposure across 226 countries. This has been recognized as a world record by the Asia Pacific Book of World Records," the citation read.

K Suma, from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has bagged the award for her dedication to improving the infrastructure for government schools and increasing enrolment. She promotes health and wellness through yoga camps and supports inclusive education with home-based education visits every fourth Saturday.

Minakshi Kumari, from Shiv Ganga Girls Plus 2 High School, Madhubani, Bihar, has championed community involvement by engaging parents in improving school outcomes like clean uniforms, sanitary pads, and drinking water facilities. "She has published over 50 stories and poems and successfully advocated against child marriage, preventing 20 cases. Her efforts have led to increased participation by girls in academics, sports, Mithila painting, and community service," her citation read.

Hukam Chand Chaudhary, a government school teacher from Rajasthan, has been awarded for his creation of low-cost, project-based approaches, such as an automated school bell made from recycled materials and an AI-powered chatbot for answering questions on WhatsApp.

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Pallavi Sharma, Principal of Mamta Modern Senior Secondary School here, has bagged the award for her initiatives including a Maths and Science Park, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Laboratory and "Khushishala"- a happiness lab. "To support visually impaired students, he developed 916 audiobooks and published them in the public domain. He designed learning materials in a tactile format. He also developed 100 science instruments for a science park to foster scientific aptitude," read the citation.

Mantaiah Chinni Bedke, a teacher at ZP Upper Primary Digital School, Jajavandi, Maharashtra, has developed innovative, low-cost teaching materials, including a "speaking wall," where words and sentences on walls help expand students' vocabulary through constant exposure.

Narasimha Murthy H K, a teacher at Daffodils English School, Sanjaynagar, Karnataka, uses activities such as blindfolding tasks and paper folding to infuse problem-solving in his students. His methods include Sudoku, IT expos, and project-based learning, complemented by gamified learning through treasure hunts and Minecraft Education to foster joyful and critical thinking.