Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu will confer the National Teachers’ Award 2023 to 75 educators from across the country at a ceremony in New Delhi on Tuesday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, which is observed as Teacher’s Day.
Among the 75 educators, two teachers from Odisha – Subhash Chandra Rout of Brundaban Government High School in Jagatsinghpur district and Sashisekhar Kar Sharma of Kenduapada Nodal High School in Bhadrak district – will also be honoured with the coveted award for their exemplary service, including introducing innovative teaching and learning methods in classrooms, encouraging students to raise their voice against domestic violence, boosting enrolments among girls and helping children during the pandemic disruption.
For the first time, the Union Education Ministry has expanded the ambit of the National Teachers’ Awards and brought teachers from higher and skilled education under it. Of the 75 winners, 50 are from schools, 12 from higher education institutions, and 13 from skill and entrepreneurship training academies. Each award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs 50,000, and a silver medal.
Subhash Chandra Rout ensured that his students attended regular online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, Rout used the storytelling method to remove the fear of mathematics from their minds and make learning joyful.
Similarly, Sashisekhar Kar Sharma, who is now the headmaster of the high school from where he completed his schooling, is a popular teacher and continues to take at least four classes every day, besides his administrative work.
On Monday, the awardees got an opportunity to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who congratulated them for their dedication and commitment to improving the quality of teaching as well as enriching the lives of their students.