National Teachers’ Award 2025: Professors Who Turned Classrooms Into Launchpads of Dreams

National Teachers’ Award 2025: From innovation labs to counseling support, meet the professors honored for transforming higher education.

When Prof. Urvish Soni enters his polytechnic classroom in Ahmedabad, it no longer feels like a place of rote lectures. Instead, there are buzzing 3D printers, animated student debates, and prototypes being tested. His “One Student, One Skill” initiative has turned passive learners into creators, equipping them with hands-on skills that match industry needs. This transformative approach has Soni a place among the 21 higher-education faculty honored with the National Teachers’ Award 2025.

The ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards, marked a historic moment for Indian academia. For the second year in a row, teachers from universities, IITs, IIMs, polytechnics, and central institutions were recognized alongside school teachers across India. “Smart classrooms may help, but it is the smart teacher who senses the heart of a child and gives them wings,” the President remarked, underlining that empathy and mentorship remain as vital as academic rigor. 

Stories of Impact

Among this year’s awardees, Prof. Vijay Kumar Pandey from Banaras Hindu University has helped mathematics shed its fearsome reputation among students. By nurturing a research culture and mentoring students from small towns, Pandey sir has proven that even the difficult subjects can be gateways to discovery.

At Aligarh Muslim University, Prof. Vibha Sharma uses literature not just to teach language, but to engage students in community projects and leadership roles. Her recognition is significant in a space often dominated by science and technology. She also shares a strong bond with her students.

In Arunachal Pradesh, Dr. Proshanto Kumar Saha of Rajiv Gandhi University has gone beyond his teaching duties. Through his Neuropsychology Lab, Saha has offered counseling and emotional support to students grappling with trauma, blending education with compassion.

These stories of innovative teaching illustrate how higher education in India is being reshaped by professors who refuse to remain confined to black-boards and monotonous lectures.

Rising Recognition for Higher Education

The Ministry of Education in a note states that it received over 10,000 nominations this year for the awards, out of which 45 teachers were selected, including 21 from higher education institutions. 

Speaking to All India Radio, Prof. Soni said, “When my students hold a prototype in their hands, they see themselves as creators, not just learners. That is the reward beyond any award.” Prof. Pandey added, “I come from a small town myself. When I see a student from a village clear a national exam or publish research, it feels like rewriting my own journey.”

Higher education in India has faced criticism for being rote-based learning, however these awards show a different picture, one where classrooms double as innovation labs, where mathematics fuels confidence, and where counseling spaces become lifelines for struggling youth.

Work of these teachers is closely tied to the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, which pitches for skill-building, inclusivity, and research-driven education. Each winner received a silver medal, a certificate, and ₹50,000 in cash.

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