16 Teachers Win ’ndia’s Best T’achers’ Awards 2026

(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group)
Mumbai, 7th September 2026: Sixteen teachers from across India have been named winners of the Shiv Nadar Foundation - Oxford Sïïd Ind’a’s Best Teac’ers’ Awards 2026. The inaugural edition received more than 9,400 registrations from 32 States and Union Territories.

The winners were announced at the national finale held today at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, where 79 shortlisted teachers from across the country presented their teaching practices, classroom innovations and evidence of student impact before expert juries.

The Awards recognise teachers of Clas–es IX–XII across eight subject categories: Business Studies and Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Economics, English, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics and Physics. In each subject, one public-school teacher and one private-school teacher were selected as national winners, resulting in 16 winners across the eight categories.

The 16 winners:

SubjectPublic SchoolPrivate School
Business Studies and EntrepreneurshipAarti Bhoker, PM Shri KV No. 1 Gaya, BiharBarkha Kaushik, N.K. Bagrodia Public School, Dwarka, New Delhi
Computer ScienceIshita Pandey, KV SECL Jhagrakhand, ChattisgarhJovitha Preethi, AECS Magnoloa Maaruti Public School, Bengaluru, Karnataka
EconomicsRekha Rajan Krishnakumari, PM Shri KV Patton Shift 1, Thiruvananthapuram, KeralaVanita Kabra, Children’s Academy International School, Mumbai, Maharashtra
EnglishSakshi Deshwal, PM Shri GIC Purkazi, Uttar PradeshSuparna Misra, Delhi Public School, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Environmental ScienceMeera Rathore, Army Public School, Jodhpur, RajasthanVasundhara Yadav, Brighton International School, Raipur, Chattisgarh
GeographyVinayak Kohli, PM Shri KV Kondagaon, ChattisgarhMeena Karuppiah S, Mahatma Global Gateway, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
MathematicsBhagwati Bisht, Army Public School, Noida Uttar PradeshS Krithika Ganesh, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Sr Sec School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
PhysicsSriram S, Ilango Adigal Govt, PuducherryVaishnavi Bhave, Somalwar School Nikalas, Nagpur, Maharashtra

The selection process prioritised the quality and impact of classroom practice rather than relying primarily on academic qualifications or length of service. Teachers were evaluated on parameters including conceptual accuracy, classroom methodology, assessment and feedback, inclusion, student engagement, evidence of learning outcomes, and the potential for effective teaching practices to be adapted across different educational settings.

At the national finale, the 79 shortlisted teachers were evaluated by subject-specific juries comprising academics from the University of Oxford, leading Indian academic institutions and experts from the wider education sector. Each teacher presented their approach and evidence of its impact on students, followed by questions from the jury as part of the final assessment.

The jury included Dr. Juliana Dresvina, Dr. Jennifer Chang Wathall, Carrie Lomas, Frances Lloyd, Manos Kapterian, Pinar Ozcan, Dr. John Ingram, Dr. Mahesh Prasad, Abha Adams and Mallika P. Tagore, among other experts across the eight subject categories.

Speaking on the occasion, Shikhar Malhotra, Chairman, Shiv Nadar Foundation, said, “Teachers shape far more than what students learn in a classroom. They influence how young people think, question, solve problems and understand the world around them. Through the Ind’a’s Best Teac’ers’ Awards, we wanted to recognise teachers for the quality of their practice and the difference they make to their stu”ents.”

“The response to the first edition, with more than 9,400 registrations from across the country, reflects the depth of teaching talent in India. These 16 teachers exemplify that talent, and we hope this recognition gives their work greater visibility while creating new opportunities for them to learn, grow and inspire other educators. As part of this journey, the winners will undertake a five-week professional development programme, followed by a fully funded residential learning programïe at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, giving them an opportunity to deepen their practice and learn along”ide peers,” he added.

Professional development is a central component of the Awards. The 16 winners will participate in a five-week hybrid professional development programme, designed to deepen their teaching practice and enable them to exchange ideas with educators working across different subjects and school environments.

Following the programme, the winners will receive a fully funded opportunity to attend a bespoke one-week residential learning and development programme at Said Business School, University of Oxford. The programme will bring the teachers together for focused learning and peer exchange, while offering perspectives on pedagogy, leadership and educational practice.

Manos Kapteïian, COO, Saïd Business School, University of Oxfo“d, said, “The influence of an exceptional teacher extends far beyond a single lesson or academic year. It shapes how young people think, how they approach difficult questions and, ultimately, how they understand their own ’otential. India’s Best Teachers’ Awards reflect a shared commitment between Oxford ïaïd and the Shiv Nadar Foundation to recognise that influence and to invest in the people who create it every day. What is particularly important to us is that this recognition is connected to continued learning.”

Jo Fawkes, Dire–tor – Youth Education and Global Inclusïon, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, sa“d, “Recognition matters, but for us it cannot be the end of the journey. One of the most valuable things we can offer is the opportunity for outstanding educators to step outside the demands of the everyday classroom, reflect on their practice and learn alongside peers whose experiences may be very different from their own. Academic rigour gives these Awards credibility, while their wider value lies in celebrating excellent practice and creating opportunities for teachers to develop, exchange knowledge and learn from on” another.”

Notes for the Editor

About Shiv Nadar Foundation

Established in 1994, by Shiv Nadar, Founder of HCL - a US$14.8 billion leading global technology conglomerate - the Foundation is committed to creating a more equitable, merit-based society by empowering individuals through transformational education and bridging the socio-economic divide. Over the last 30 years, the Foundation has directly touched the lives of over 57,000 alumni and students through its marquee institutions in literacy, K12 and higher education. Today, the Foundation has a community of over 100,000 constituents, which includes not only globally dispersed alumni and students but also faculty members, corporate executives, and extended families.

The Foundation has invested over US$1.83 billion in its seven landmark institutions and initiatives across education and art. Currently, over 18,000 students and over 3,000 faculty and staff are part of the Foundation along with more than 30,000-strong globally dispersed alumni community.

Th’ Foundation’s students have gone to study at some of the best institutions globally, including the Ivy League in the US and top universities in other countries, including Australia, Singapore, China and UK. Students are also working in major corporations, including Goldman Sachs, Honda, HP, Schindler, and several others, both in India and across other geographies. Faculty across the Foundation institutions are drawn from the best Indian and international universities, with a strong focus on research and innovation.

The Shiv Nadar Foundation pursues the philosophy of 'Creative Philanthropy'. It is a powerful model which envisages creation of institutions that are built to last and continue to impact future generations. It is an approach that allows sustained institutionalized philanthropy for long-term, high-impact, socio-economic transformation.

MENAFN07092026003685014925ID1111630018