22 schoolteachers honoured in Chandigarh, Kataria calls them nation-builders

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria honoured 22 schoolteachers for their contributions to nation-building at a special Teachers’ Day event organised by the Department of School Education on Saturday.

Referring to former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose birth anniversary is observed as Teachers’ Day, Kataria said the observance was a tribute to the invaluable contribution of teachers in shaping the lives of people, society and the nation.

Kataria described teachers as “silent nation-builders”, saying that their role went beyond imparting academic knowledge.

He presented state awards to 16 teachers and conferred commendation certificates on six others in recognition of their dedication, innovation and contribution to improving the quality of school education.

Monika Chawla, Principal, St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, and Ramesh Sharma received special recognition awards, while Parveen Kumari, a national award recipient of the previous year, was also honoured.

Ravi Kumar Jaiswal, a trained graduate teacher (science) at Government Model High School, Maloya Colony, who was selected for the prestigious National Teachers’ Award-2026, was given special recognition for his innovative approach to science education.

Jaiswal has developed a 3D dome theatre using waste material to make learning more engaging and experiential.

An award recognising lifetime contribution to school education was conferred on Bindu Arora, Deputy Director, School Education, Chandigarh.

The event was attended by Secretary (Education) Prerna Puri, Director (School Education) Nitish Singla and senior officers of the Education Department, teachers, students and other dignitaries.