President Murmu Confers National Awards On 50 Teachers; Know About 2 Awardees From Odisha

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday conferred the National Teachers Awards on 82 educators from across the country.

The President presented the awards at a glittering ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The award carries a certificate of merit, cash award of Rs 50,000 and a silver medal.

The Teachers’ Awards are presented every year on September 5, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, which is celebrated as National Teachers’ Day.

The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, had selected 50 teachers for this year’s National Teachers’ Awards. They were selected through a rigorous transparent and online three stages of District, State and National level selection.

The 50 selected teachers are from 28 States, 3 UTs and 6 Organizations. Out of 50 selected teachers, 34 are males, 16 are female, 2 are differently abled and 1 working with CWSN.

Of 50 teachers among the awardees, two are from Odisha. They are Santosh Kumar Kar and Dwiti Chandra Sahu.

Kar, a teacher at Jaya Durga High School, Narla Road in Kalahandi district developed over 200 hands-on teaching and learning materials to make science concepts easy to understand and engaging. In addition to his innovative approach in the classroom and science laboratory, he is proficient in ICT and assists his colleagues with the use of smart boards, e-content, and computers.

Kar also promotes science education and scientific temper through a science club. He has established a mini-science lab with extensive resources. His school also features a mini-nursery where 1,000 saplings are germinated and distributed for free to institutions for plantation. He was selected for the National Award for Teachers 2024 for his outstanding contributions to education and nation-building.

Sahu, a teacher at Government High School in Billesu in Rayagada district. Billesu is located in a remote area with poor connectivity and frequent power-cuts. Despite these challenges, he has creatively integrated ICT into his classroom without depending on electricity or the internet. His initiatives include developing educational games, a YouTube channel, and softcopy PDF content. To support bilingual education, he utilizes tribal language dictionaries and bilingual storybooks in Odia and Kovi.

For teaching arithmetic, Sahu uses marbles and employs flashcards for creative learning. He also introduced ‘Funday’ Saturdays through Parimal Pathshala, emphasising hygiene and safety, and launched the ‘Pitara Shikshan Pedi,’ which uses recycled materials for low-cost educational tools.

Additionally, he established a school cooperative store, a tribal museum, an MLE reading corner, and a craft corner, all designed to enrich student development. He was selected for the National Award for his outstanding contributions to education and nation-building.