President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Teachers’ Awards to 82 educators in New Delhi on September 5, 2026. The National Teachers Awards 2026 recognised work across school education, higher education, polytechnics and skills training.
The recipients included 48 school teachers selected through the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 educators from higher education and polytechnics, and 13 trainers associated with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
National Teachers Awards 2026 recognise varied initiatives
Indian Express reported projects ranging from home-reading campaigns and student journalism to QR-coded mapping of tree species and learning spaces built with recycled materials. The examples demonstrate different approaches to literacy, environmental education and hands-on learning.
One awardee from Assam involved students in teaching their mothers basic literacy, smartphone use and digital payments. A teacher from Ladakh used local history and former bunkers to support practical classroom learning.
President highlights education and equality
At the ceremony, President Murmu emphasised education’s role in equal opportunity and the responsibility of teachers to develop values and practical skills. She also referred to the importance of reducing school dropout rates.
The event was attended by senior education and skills-development ministers. The awards are presented annually around Teachers’ Day, observed in India on the birth anniversary of former president and teacher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
How the awards are structured
The national awards were instituted in 1958 to recognise meritorious teachers. The programme has expanded beyond school educators to include higher-education faculty and skills trainers through their respective categories.
The total of 82 combines the three groups and should not be confused with the 48 school-teacher awards alone. Earlier government announcements that focused on the school category listed 48 recipients, while the final event covered all recognised streams.
The confirmed achievement belongs to the named awardees and their documented work. Broader claims about nationwide educational outcomes would require separate data and should not be inferred from the ceremony.
