New Delhi: Two teachers from Malkangiri and Koraput districts in Odisha were conferred National Teachers’ Award by President Droupadi Murmu at a glittering ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday.
The awardees are Basanta Kumar Rana, headmaster in-charge of Government UP School at Kondel village in Malkangiri district, and Tarun Kumar Dash, a primary teacher at the PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya in Koraput.
This year, 45 teachers from different states were honoured with the national award, of whom 24 were male and 21 female.
Rana was picked for the National award for his work in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN). The 54-year-old has been using puppetry as a medium to teach the primary graders. He prepares shadow, glove and stick puppets on his own. His sincere efforts, focussing on Balvatika, and classes I, II and III, have taken the students’ strength in the school, which he joined in 2022 after having worked as a teacher in various government schools of Malkangiri for the last three decades, from 86 to 146.
Likewise, Dash uses storytelling, drama, puppet shows, short films, and community radio to create engaging, holistic learning experiences.
Among his notable initiatives are ‘Katha Chitra’, a student-driven short film project tackling social issues; ‘Millet Kranti’, promoting nutrition through millet-based meals; and ‘Light Bag, Happy Back’, easing the burden of heavy school bags. He has helped many children from disadvantaged backgrounds to win national awards in drama, short films, and even deliver speeches in Parliament’s Central Hall.
He has written and directed seven short films with his students, focusing on social issues.
