‘Little reporters’ to QR-coded trees: 82 teachers felicitated with national award

This year's National Teachers' Awards honored 82 educators for their innovative contributions to education. At a ceremony marking Teachers Day, President Droupadi Murmu praised the winning teachers for bringing books beyond the classroom, turning students into "little reporters," and mapping campus trees using QR codes. The winners represented three different departments - school education and literacy, higher educational institutions and polytechnics, and skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

President Murmu highlighted the role of education in achieving equality of opportunity enshrined in the Constitution and discussed the significant reduction in primary school dropout rates thanks to teachers' efforts. She emphasized that teachers are vital in instilling knowledge, inspiration, morality, and sensitivity in students through their affection and dedication.

Among the award recipients, Dr. Archana Shukla from Madhya Pradesh's Government Mahatma Gandhi Sandipani Higher Secondary School stood out for her project-based learning, ecological stewardship, and low-cost student initiatives. These included installing over 1,000 sparrow houses and digitally mapping 102 campus tree species using QR codes.

Sunita Yadav from Chhattisgarh's Government Middle School was recognized for her community initiative, Nyota Bhojan, now expanded statewide, and a home reading campaign called Ghar Ghar Pustak Vachan. Yadav has been teaching since 2008 and engages rural students as "Little Reporters," conducting interviews, producing educational content, and creating short films.

Divyendu Sen from Mahatma Gandhi Government School in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, was honored for developing a Virtual Biology Laboratory, AI-enabled biology education, and a "Tree Talk" system using QR codes for botanical learning, making advanced STEM education accessible in government schools. Other awardees included Dr. Renu Tripathi from Balika Inter College in Ghaziabad, UP, for her holistic development of girls through tech-enabled and inclusive learning; Ravi Jaiswal from Government Model High School in Chandigarh, for creating low-cost and scalable solutions; and Kunda Jayawant Bachhav from Nashik, Maharashtra, for her "Educational Parenting" initiative.