Lucknow: The State Teacher Award Ceremony was organized on the occasion of Teachers’ Day on Friday at the Lok Bhavan Auditorium in the state capital. Marking the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna, former
President and eminent educationist Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a total of 81 teachers from the basic and secondary education sectors were honored with the State Teacher Award. Of these, 66 belonged to basic education and 15 to secondary education, recognized for their exemplary contributions.
On this occasion, the children’s story collection ‘Gullak’ prepared by SCERT, the ‘Bal Vatika’ handbook, and the educational innovations compilation booklet ‘Udgam’ were released. The Chief Minister also launched the Udgam digital platform. The ‘Gullak’ storybook aims to help teachers make learning more engaging while instilling moral and human values in students, while ‘Udgam’ highlights innovative practices being implemented by teachers in schools.
शिक्षा, सभ्य समाज और समृद्ध राष्ट्र की आधारशिला है, शिक्षक को पथ प्रदर्शक के रूप में ईश्वर ने भूमिका प्रदान की है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) September 5, 2025
पूर्व राष्ट्रपति, महान शिक्षाविद, ‘भारत रत्न’ डॉ. सर्वपल्ली राधाकृष्णन की जयंती एवं 'शिक्षक दिवस' के अवसर पर आज लखनऊ में आयोजित कार्यक्रम में सहभाग किया।
इस अवसर… pic.twitter.com/A5yMJW8tap
A short film showcasing the summer camp and tree plantation initiatives of the Basic and Secondary Education Departments was also screened. The program commenced with Saraswati Vandana performed by students of Janta Girls School, Alambagh.
As a mark of respect, the Chief Minister felicitated five principals/teachers each from basic and secondary education with a cash prize of ₹25,000, a citation, a statue of Maa Saraswati, and a shawl.
Among those honored from the Basic Education Department were Assistant Teacher Santosh Kumar Singh (Bhadohi), Assistant Teacher Renu Singh (Meerut), Assistant Teacher Mohini Srivastava (Lakhimpur Kheri), Assistant Teacher Dr. Reena Mishra (Prayagraj), and Assistant Teacher Pramod Kumar Singh (Gorakhpur).
From the Secondary Education Department, the following were honored: Principal Ramprakash Gupta (Hamirpur), Commerce Teacher Komal Tyagi (Ghaziabad), Principal Chaman Jahan (Bareilly), Principal Jang Bahadur (Jaunpur), and Science Teacher Dr. Virendra Kumar Patel (Gorakhpur).
In addition, tablets were distributed to principals of 2,204 government secondary schools across the state. From the stage, the Chief Minister personally handed tablets to Sargam Khare (Mahoba), Gyanwant Singh (Mahoba), Dharmendra Kumar (Prayagraj), Rajesh Yadav (Chandauli), and Dr. Vibha Chauhan (Ghaziabad).
The Chief Minister also inaugurated smart classes in 1,236 government secondary schools and presented certificates to five principals Ajay Prakash Singh (Banda), Dinesh Yadav (Ghazipur), Kiranmai Tiwari (Gorakhpur), Anjana Verma (Lalitpur), and Vishwaprakash Singh (Gorakhpur).
The ceremony was graced by Secondary Education Minister (Independent Charge) Gulab Devi, Basic Education Minister (Independent Charge) Sandeep Singh, Chief Secretary in charge and Additional Chief Secretary of Secondary and Basic Education Departments Deepak Kumar, Director General of School Education Kanchan Verma, along with teachers from across the state.
Basic Education Minister (Independent Charge) Sandeep Singh said that the government is committed to providing inclusive education through modern methods. With the introduction of smart classes, quality content, and skilled teachers, children are receiving equal educational opportunities. He emphasized that the government is particularly dedicated to ensuring quality education for girls.
Secondary Education Minister (Independent Charge) Gulab Devi stated that under the leadership of the Yogi government, copying in examinations has been completely curbed. The so-called "copying mafia" has been eliminated, and strict provisions now include a fine of up to ₹1 crore and life imprisonment for offenders. She added that while a teacher makes a student a scholar, it is the Guru who elevates the student to greatness. Teachers, she said, are role models for both society and children.
