Across the country, September 5 is celebrated with great respect as “Teachers’ Day,” marking the birth anniversary of the great educationist and former President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. On this day, selected teachers of the country are honored with the ‘National Teachers’ Award’ by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This time for 2026, President Smt. Droupadi Murmu is conferring this honor upon 48 teachers from across the country at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. In this prestigious list, Dr. Dinesh Kumar from Patiala is the only selected teacher from Punjab, who has made the entire state proud. On this occasion, let us know about the inspiring journey of those teachers of Punjab who have brought glory to the state by achieving this national honor over the past years.
Dr. Dinesh Kumar: Creator of the ‘Virtual Physics Lab’
Physics lecturer Dr. Dinesh Kumar of Government Victoria Girls Senior Secondary School, Patiala, has been selected for the prestigious ‘National Teachers’ Award’ for the year 2026. He is the only teacher from Punjab to receive this highest honor this year. 52-year-old Dr. Kumar has been serving in government schools for the past 25 years. With the help of computer programming, he has created a ‘Virtual Physics Lab’ where students can conduct scientific experiments digitally without any physical equipment.
Apart from this, he has also developed more than 100 zero-cost digital education tools. Dinesh Kumar, who did his graduation from Government Mohindra College and his Master’s degree from Punjabi University, Patiala, says that for him no student is a ‘backbencher’; he teaches every child with equal effort. Congratulating him, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that his laboratory-based teaching method has made a subject like Physics very interesting for thousands of students.
Narinder Singh: The journey from two rooms to a smart campus
Narinder Singh, the Head Teacher of the Government Primary School in Jandiali village of Ludhiana district, was honored with the ‘National Teachers’ Award’ in the year 2025. Starting his service as a teacher in this school in 2006, Narinder Singh transformed an ordinary two-room school into a modern campus with 15 smart classrooms, a computer lab, a science lab, three libraries, and parks with various educational themes. Due to his hard work, the school also received the ‘Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar’. He believes that instead of rote learning, children should be taught concepts in a practical manner so that their foundation can be strengthened.
Rajinder Singh: An example of hard work
In the year 2024, Rajinder Singh of Bathinda was honored with the ‘National Teachers’ Award’ because he increased the number of student enrollments in the school and raised the standard of rural education by repairing the dilapidated school building with his own hands.
Pankaj Kumar Goyal:
On the other hand, Pankaj Kumar Goyal of Barnala was bestowed with this prestigious award because he played a crucial role in bringing many female students to the top positions in the state’s merit list. Notably, both these teachers proved that if a teacher possesses true dedication, even children in rural and semi-urban areas can be provided with world-class education.
Amritpal Singh: Computer Park and Digital Revolution
Amritpal Singh, a computer teacher at Government Senior Secondary School (Chhapar) in Ludhiana district, was honored with the ‘National Teachers’ Award’ in the year 2023 for his unique innovations in the field of education. To connect the children of his school with technology, he established a unique ‘Computer Park’ in the school, and along with this, he created 6 smart classrooms. He uses ICT tools, audio lectures, poems, etc., to teach the children. To make computer science easier for students, he developed more than 30 mobile games and the ‘ICT Parvaaz’ project, which completely changed the way children in government schools across Punjab learn.
Arun Kumar Garg: Making Mathematics Interesting
Arun Kumar Garg, Principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School (Datewas) in Mansa district, was honored with the ‘National Teachers’ Award’ in the year 2022. In fact, he made a generally difficult-considered subject like mathematics very simple and interesting for the students. Not only this, during the difficult period of COVID-19, he started a free educational YouTube channel named ‘Abhyaas by Arun sir’, through which he delivered an easy understanding of mathematics especially to thousands of students sitting in rural and remote areas. Due to this brilliant initiative, he received great praise and respect across the country.
Educational Revolution and a Proud Tradition
For the past several years, every time at least one teacher from Punjab has been selected for this prestigious honor, whether it is a mathematics teacher, a computer teacher, or a physics teacher. In reality, this series is a testament to the fact that teachers in government schools of Punjab are not limited just to teaching the curriculum, but are changing the entire complexion of schools with their resources, insight, and creativity. Specifically, Dr. Dinesh Kumar’s 2026 honor is another shining proof of this very proud tradition, which demonstrates that the state’s teachers are setting new examples in every field.
All these teachers are a living example of the fact that if a teacher has dedication, patience, and creativity, a lack of resources can never become a hurdle in the path of education, whether the school is in a village or a city, or resources are limited or abundant. Additionally, it is due to the hard work, dedication, and foresight of these teachers that the identity of government schools in Punjab is changing today, and the future of thousands of students is getting a new direction and new hope, which will touch even greater heights in the coming times.
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