Six MP teachers honoured with National Teacher Awards
BHOPAL: Six teachers and educators from Madhya Pradesh were among those honoured with the National Teacher Awards 2026 at a ceremony held on Teachers’ Day, with President Droupadi Murmu presenting the awards to outstanding educators from across the country.
The awardees from Madhya Pradesh are Dr Archana Shukla, Shailendra Pratap Singh, Sangeeta Yadav, Prof Saurav Datta, Reena Gupta and Jyotibala Rathore, recognised for their contributions to education, skill development, innovation and research.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav congratulated the awardees, describing the national recognition as a matter of pride for the state. He said teachers were not merely providers of knowledge but played a key role in shaping society and the nation’s future.
Dr Archana Shukla, a science and biology teacher, has worked for 15 years on project-based learning, environmental conservation and student mentoring. Her initiatives include setting up more than 1,000 sparrow houses and digitally mapping trees on school campuses through QR codes.
Shailendra Pratap Singh, an English teacher and acting headmaster, has transformed schools with limited resources through community participation. Under his efforts, student enrolment rose from 69 to 202, while attendance increased from 44% to 96%. He has also worked to prevent child marriage and bring school dropouts back into education.
Sangeeta Yadav has promoted innovative mathematics teaching through initiatives such as Ganitsav, Quest for Mathematics, Mathemind and Bagless Mathematics Day, besides integrating technology and artificial intelligence into classroom learning.
Prof Saurav Datta, a plant biologist at IISER Bhopal, has been recognised for his contribution to teaching and research, including work on developing plants resilient to climate change. He has twice received the IISER Bhopal Distinguished Teacher Award.
Reena Gupta, a training officer at Government Divisional ITI, Ujjain, has spent 16 years training hearing- and visually-impaired trainees in computer and digital skills, helping them pursue employment and self-employment.
Jyotibala Rathore, a training officer at NSTI (Women), Indore, has 19 years of teaching experience and has helped trainees excel in national and state-level competitions while also facilitating employment opportunities through her work as placement officer.
CM Yadav said the achievements of the six awardees would inspire teachers and students across the state to pursue innovation and set new benchmarks in education.