National Award For Odisha Teacher: ‘Love Your Students Like Your Own Children’

New Delhi/Puri: The only teacher from Odisha to receive the National Award for Teachers-2022 from President Droupadi Murmu on Teachers’ Day, Iswar Chandra Nayak said it was a very happy and proud moment for him.

“Teaching is a noble profession. My advice to teachers is, first love your students like your own children. Teaching automatically becomes a joyful and enjoyable experience,” Nayak told a news channel after the award ceremony in New Delhi.

“I tell my students that they are also constantly learning from the activities they do at home. Teaching isn’t confined to the classroom only,” he added.

Nayak said he felt proud to receive the award from President Droupadi Murmu, who is from Odisha, in the presence of Union Education & Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also from Odisha.

Nayak received the award from Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Nayak, who teaches at Government Upper Primary School at Kanpur under Nimapada block of Puri district, took up teaching nearly 21 years back after resigning from a lucrative engineering job.

Respected as an ideal teacher among students as well as their guardians, Nayak was a brilliant student in his academic career and obtained an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT), Varanasi. Born in Bangurus Patana village under Nimapada block, he did his schooling in Puri.

As a qualified engineer, he worked in reputed private companies across the country. After working as a professional engineer for eight years, he resigned from the job to join as an assistant teacher in the primary school under the state government after completing a Bachelor of Education degree in 2001 at a meagre monthly salary of Rs 1,500. Though the engineering job was high paying, he got more satisfaction from teaching and shaping the future of children.

Besides teaching children, he set up a students’ knowledge centre in his village in 2017 where free computer education and career counselling are provided to the students.

With a natural talent for writing and an attraction for literature, Nayak is also a well-known writer. He has authored 18 books including many on the textile heritage of Odisha and the school education system. His last book, ‘Aliaru A Aa’, published in 2021, deals with the ways in which marginalised children can be brought back to school.

His book ‘Weaves in Textiles’ has been included as a reference book in 10 IIHTs across the country. “For me, education and textiles go hand in hand. Both are equally important,” said Nayak, who runs YouTube channels ‘Teachers Odia’ imparting lessons on teachers’ training and ‘Chemistry Ganga’ to clear the chemistry fundamentals of students.

An alumnus of the Institution of Engineers, Kolkata, 50-year-old Nayak is also a state resource person for the School and Mass Education Department. He was chosen for the coveted annual award conferred by the Ministry of Education for his academic and non-academic publications. The award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs 50,000 and a silver medal.