President Droupadi Murmu felicitated 75 teachers in New Delhi on September 5 on the occasion of Teachers Day.
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The awardees — 50 school teachers, 13 teachers from higher education and 12 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship — received a certificate of merit, a cash award of ₹50,000 and a silver medal.
Archana Nooguri from Telangana, who works on improving enrolment rates and reducing dropouts, was awarded for her efforts at developing low-cost teaching-learning material and for involving the community in setting up a water purification plant and library. Dr. Chandan Mishra from West Bengal was recognised for his efforts at integrating augmented and virtual Reality in his teaching-learning processes, which resulted in increased student enrolment.
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Similarly, Dwijendra Kumar from Bihar took the initiative to make his school a Divyang model school. He involved the community in spreading awareness about health and hygiene, child marriage and dowry.
Mujib Rahman K.U. from Kerala promotes good reading habits through various innovative activities. He developed a library software that provides free access to many school libraries in India. M. Bhaskar Rao from Andhra Pradesh conducts awareness programmes and participatory activities on issues such as child labour, child marriage and environment protection.
Dinesh Babu J., associate professor at the International Institute of Information Technology in Bengaluru (IIITB), was awarded for developing an innovative UPSC virtual reality interviewing platform. His citation reads, “This cutting-edge technology employs Artificial Intelligence and virtual reality, featuring five virtual interviewers who evaluate candidates online. These interviewers probe candidates on diverse subjects such as Indian history, Constitution, current affairs, and incorporate follow-up questions. An IAS academy has collaborated with the IIITB paving the way for this real-world application.
Indranath Sengupta, Professor of Mathematics at IIT-Gandhinagar, was selected for his dedication and contribution to higher education and enriching lives of his students.
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Malaviya Mission - Teachers Training Programme on the occasion. “Based on various themes, training will contribute to the capacity building for our teachers. It reaffirms UGC’s commitment to quality education,” Mr. Pradhan said.