President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Award 2026 on 48 educators at a Teachers’ Day ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan on September 5.
The event recognised the awardees for their contributions to improving school education and enriching students’ learning experiences.
This year’s 48 honourees include 26 men and 22 women, representing 27 states, seven Union Territories and six Central Government organisations.
The selection followed a rigorous three-stage process covering district or regional, state or organisation, and national-level scrutiny.
Short documentaries on each awardee were shown at the ceremony, highlighting their work both in and outside the classroom.
Teachers’ Day is widely observed across Indian schools each year, with many institutions holding their own local celebrations alongside the national ceremony in Delhi.
The 48 awardees include 26 men and 22 women, representing 27 states, seven Union Territories and six Central Government organisations.
Teachers were selected through a rigorous, transparent three-stage process involving district or regional scrutiny, followed by state or organisation-level review, and finally national-level evaluation.
Online self-nominations from eligible teachers were invited through the Ministry of Education’s portal between June 15 and July 20 as part of the selection process.
The ceremony also featured short documentaries showcasing each awardee’s work, highlighting their contributions both inside and beyond the classroom.
The National Teachers Awards are conferred annually on September 5, marking the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s second President and a noted educator.
The awards are administered by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, which oversees the nomination and selection process each year.
Recognising teachers from across the country, including from Union Territories and Central Government-run institutions, reflects the award’s aim of celebrating educators working in a wide range of settings.
The event at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi typically draws senior officials from the Ministry of Education alongside the honoured teachers and their families.
Official portrait of President Droupadi Murmu, Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
