PM Modi Interacts with National Teachers Award Winners

• 82 teachers and educators selected for this year’s awards
• PM urges teachers to help students overcome drug addiction
• Teachers asked to address excessive screen time through sports and creative activities
• PM stresses nurturing curiosity and preserving childhood

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th Sept: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the winners of the National Teachers Awards at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, highlighting the role of teachers in supporting children’s overall development beyond academics.

A total of 82 teachers and educators have been selected for this year’s National Teachers Awards. They include 48 teachers from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 teachers and faculty members from Higher Educational Institutions and Polytechnics, and 13 skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

During the interaction, the awardees shared experiences and innovative approaches they have adopted to make classroom learning more engaging and effective.

Prime Minister Modi urged teachers to look beyond students’ academic performance and remain attentive to their behaviour and everyday lives. He highlighted the changing family structure and said teachers have an increasingly important role in children’s lives.

Addressing the issue of drug addiction among young students, the Prime Minister called on teachers to remain alert to behavioural changes, understand the causes and help affected children overcome the habit.

Modi also stressed the importance of preserving childhood and nurturing children’s natural curiosity. He said teachers can make a significant contribution to children’s development by appropriately guiding and channelising their curiosity.

On excessive screen time, the Prime Minister urged teachers to engage with parents about children’s screen habits, including late-night mobile phone use. He suggested encouraging children to participate in sports, physical games and creative activities to gradually reduce excessive screen use.

Referring to the National Education Policy, Modi emphasised taking children beyond classrooms and connecting them with real-world skills and different forms of work. He also called on teachers to go beyond the syllabus and inculcate values such as dignity of labour among students.