Shine a light on excellence: Himachal teachers encouraged to apply for national awards

The Department of School Education has called upon teachers across Himachal Pradesh to actively participate in the National Awards to Teachers-2025, a prestigious initiative of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. These annual awards, among the highest civilian honours in the field of school education, are presented by the President on Teachers’ Day, September 5, to recognise excellence, innovation and dedication in teaching.

The awards aim to celebrate educators who have made significant contributions to student learning, especially in challenging and underserved environments. Teachers working in government and government-aided schools are eligible to apply through self-nomination via the official portal: http://nationalawardstoteachers.education.gov.in.

As per Ministry guidelines, registration is open until July 13 and the final date for submission of applications is July 15. The department has directed all principals, headmasters and block education officers to disseminate this information widely and provide full support to eligible teaching staff during the nomination process.

“This is a golden opportunity for the state’s educators to gain national recognition,” said Ashish Kohli, Director of School Education. “We strongly encourage our outstanding teachers to come forward and showcase their passion and impact in shaping the future of students.”

He cited the example of Sunil Kumar from Chamba, who was honoured with the National Teacher Award last year, bringing pride to the entire state. “We hope to see similar enthusiasm and participation from our teachers this year as well,” he added.