The National Teachers' Awards were conferred upon 44 teachers from across the country for their contribution to developing innovative methods of teaching by President Ram Nath Kovind on September 5.
Every year, the national-level awards are given on Teachers' Day to celebrate the contributions of some of the finest teachers for their commitment to improve the quality of school education and change lives of the their students.
"Teachers should pay special attention to the fact that each student has different abilities, talents, psychology, social background and environment. Therefore, emphasis should be laid on the all-round development of each child according to their special needs, interests and abilities," President Kovind said during the virtual award ceremony.
"The primary responsibility of combining the inherent talents of the students lies with the teachers. A good teacher is a personality-builder, a society-builder and a nation-builder," he added.
Congratulating the awardees, he said, "Such teachers strengthen my belief that the future generation is safe in the hands of our well-qualified teachers. Teachers have a very important place in everyone''s life, people remember their teachers lifelong."
He said teachers who nurture their students with affection and devotion not only get respect from their students but can "shape the future of students through their behaviour, conduct and teaching".
President Kovind noted how teachers adapted to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and didn't allow education to be stopped despite schools closing down.
"Some teachers have developed remarkable infrastructure in schools with their hard work and dedication. I appreciate such dedicated teachers and hope that the entire teaching community will keep on changing its teaching methods according to the changing circumstances," he said.
The President said that the National Education Policy (NEP) has set an ambitious objective of establishing India as a global knowledge superpower.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that he was privileged to join the ceremony to recognise the efforts of the best teachers in India and lauded their key role in ensuring continuity of education during COVID-19.
First instituted in 1958 to recognise the excellence and commitment of teachers, September 5 came to be the fixed date from the mid-60s to coincide with the birth anniversary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India and an eminent educationist.
This year, online self-nomination process was followed by a three-tier selection process at district, State and national level.
A documentary film on each of the 44 awardee teachers was also shown during the award ceremony.
