President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious National Teachers’ Awards 2025 on Teachers’ Day, celebrating 45 remarkable educators from across India. These awards recognize exceptional dedication, innovation, and significant contributions to improving school education and enriching students’ lives. The selection process was rigorous, involving three stages at district, state, and national levels. Awardees represent 27 states and 7 union territories, showcasing the nationwide reach of this honor.
From Assam, Debajit Ghosh, Principal of Namchang Tea Estate Model School, received the award. His leadership has inspired hundreds of students who once avoided school. His journey has been challenging but profoundly impactful.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh each had an awardee. Maram Pavitra, a biology teacher at Zilla Parishad High School in Suryapet district, Telangana, and Madabathula Tirumala Sridevi, Principal and Biology teacher in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, are known for their unique teaching methods.
Bihar celebrated three winners. Pramod Kumar, senior teacher and Head of Biology at Sainik School, Nalanda, Kumari Nidhi from Primary School Suhagi, Kishanganj, and Dilip Kumar from Lalit Narayan Laxmi Narayan Project Girls High School, Supaul, were honored.
Kerala had two awardees. Kishorkumar MS, a teacher at Kallara Vocational Higher Secondary School, and Dr BS Manoj, Senior Professor at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, were recognized for innovative practices. Kishorkumar won in school education, Dr Manoj in higher education.
Delhi’s sole winner, Awadhesh Kumar Jha, has served as principal of Rohini Sector-8 school since 2015. He leads over 3,200 students, focusing on collaboration between teachers, students, parents, and administrators.
Punjab’s Narinder Singh, headmaster of Government Primary School in Jandiali village, transformed his school since 2006. His efforts made it a model for other government institutions.
Chhattisgarh had two winners. Dr Pragya Singh of Hanoda Middle School makes mathematics fun using games like snakes and ladders. Santosh Kumar, teaching at PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Korba, creates practical science models from waste materials to eliminate fear of the subject.
Haryana’s Sunita Dhul, from PM Shri Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sonepat, trained around 14,000 students in first aid over 29 years. Praveen Kumari, a social science teacher in Chandigarh, also received the award.
Odisha celebrated Basanta Kumar Rana and Tarun Kumar Dash. Dash, a primary teacher in tribal-dominated Koraput, devoted 11 of his 16 years to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan there.
Maharashtra’s three awardees are Shaikh Mohammad Waquioddin from Nanded, Sandipan Gurunath Jagdale from Latur, and Sonia Vikas Kapoor from Mumbai. They addressed dropout rates, prepared Braille music books, and developed activity-based methods.
Madhya Pradesh honored Sheela Patel from Government Primary School in Devran village, Damoh district, and Bherulal Osara from a government school in Kheria village.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Kuldeep Gupta, a lecturer at Government Higher Secondary School Jindrah in Jammu, comes from a modest family. His father worked for Military Engineering Services.
Karnataka’s Madhusudan, teaching at Government Higher Primary School, Hinakal in Mysuru, aimed to replicate Navodaya School’s model in rural areas. He started his career in 2008 and has been at Hinakal for six years.
Jharkhand’s Shweta Sharma, from Vivekananda Government Middle School, Deoghar, studies foreign teaching methods daily to enhance education.
Rajasthan’s Neelam Yadav, principal of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Tapukada, received a silver medal, citation, and Rs 50,000 cash prize.
Tamil Nadu honored Vijayalakshmi V of Bharathiyar Centenary Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Tiruppur, and Revathy Parameswaran of P.S. Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, Chennai. Revathy, a math teacher with 34 years’ experience, has been headmaster for eight years, innovating math education.
Uttarakhand’s Manjubala, from a remote school in Champawat, has been headmistress since 2005. She upgraded the school to English medium, a district first.
West Bengal’s Tanushree Das, headmistress of Kuchlachati Primary School near Kharagpur, received the state’s Shiksha Ratna award in 2020. Her initiatives brought unprecedented progress and encourage creative activities.
Union Territories had several awardees. Kandhan Kumaresan from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Bhaviniben Dineshbhai Desai from Daman, Ibrahim S from Lakshadweep, and Dr V Rex Alias Radhakrishnan from Puducherry were honored.
Gujarat’s winners are Hitesh Kumar Pravinchandra Bhundiya from Rajkot and Hirenkumar Hasmukhbhai Sharma from Kheda.
Himachal Pradesh recognized Shashi Paul of Govt Model Centre, Primary Shamror School, Solan.
Northeastern states had multiple awardees. Nang Ekthani Mounglang from Arunachal Pradesh, Koijam Machasana from Manipur, Dr Heipor Uni Bang from Meghalaya, Peleno Petenilhu from Nagaland, Karma Tempo Ethenpa from Sikkim, and Bidisha Majumder from Tripura were among those celebrated.
These educators exemplify excellence and commitment. Their stories inspire and highlight the transformative power of dedicated teaching. Each awardee has made a tangible difference in their community, fostering better education and brighter futures. The National Teachers’ Awards rightly shine a light on their invaluable contributions. This recognition not only honors their past achievements but also encourages continued innovation and dedication. Teachers shape the nation’s future, and these 45 individuals are leading the way with passion and creativity. Their work ensures that students receive quality education, regardless of location or background. This celebration of educators underscores the importance of supporting and valuing teachers nationwide.