On September 5, the State Teacher Award Ceremony took place at the Lok Bhavan Auditorium in Lucknow, coinciding with Teachers’ Day. This event commemorated the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a revered educationist and former President. A total of 81 teachers from both basic and secondary education were recognized, with 66 from basic education and 15 from secondary education, for their outstanding contributions. During the ceremony, new educational materials were launched, including the children’s story collection ‘Gullak’ by SCERT, the ‘Bal Vatika’ handbook, and the ‘Udgam’ booklet featuring educational innovations. The Chief Minister also introduced the Udgam digital platform aimed at enhancing teaching methods.
The ‘Gullak’ storybook is designed to make learning more interactive while promoting moral and human values among students. A short film highlighting summer camp and tree plantation projects by the Basic and Secondary Education Departments was showcased. The program began with a Saraswati Vandana performed by students from Janta Girls School in Alambagh. The Chief Minister honored ten educators—five from each sector—with a cash prize of ₹25,000, a citation, a statue of Maa Saraswati, and a shawl. Honorees from the Basic Education Department included Assistant Teachers Santosh Kumar Singh (Bhadohi), Renu Singh (Meerut), Mohini Srivastava (Lakhimpur Kheri), Dr. Reena Mishra (Prayagraj), and Pramod Kumar Singh (Gorakhpur).
Notable Secondary Education Department recipients included 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). Furthermore, tablets were distributed to principals of 2,204 government secondary schools statewide. The Chief Minister distributed tablets to Sargam Khare (Mahoba), Gyanwant Singh (Mahoba), Dharmendra Kumar (Prayagraj), Rajesh Yadav (Chandauli), and Dr. Vibha Chauhan (Ghaziabad). He 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 attended by key officials, including Secondary Education Minister Gulab Devi and Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh, along with teachers from across the state. Minister Sandeep Singh highlighted the government’s commitment to inclusive education through modern techniques, ensuring equal opportunities for all children, particularly girls. Minister Gulab Devi asserted that under the current administration, examination cheating has been eradicated, with severe penalties for offenders, emphasizing the vital role teachers play in shaping students’ futures.