By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday honoured 118 teachers for their outstanding contributions to education at the ‘Shikshak Mahakumbh – State Teachers Awards 2026’ held at Thyagaraj Stadium on Teachers’ Day.
The awards recognised educators for their dedication, innovation and contributions across classrooms, sports, special education and other areas of learning.
A total of 118 teachers were honoured in different categories, including 20 Heads of Schools, 69 teachers from Delhi government and MCD schools, and teachers from three CM Shri Schools. Librarians, special educators and sports teachers were also among those recognised.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said teachers were not merely responsible for imparting textbook knowledge but played a crucial role in developing students’ values, skills, confidence, discipline and sense of responsibility.
“Empowered teachers are the strong foundation of a developed Delhi,” the Chief Minister said, stressing that the influence of teachers extends beyond individual students to shape future generations.
₹19,148-crore education budget
Gupta said the Delhi government had allocated ₹19,148 crore for education in the 2026-27 financial year and was working to modernise schools through technology and smart teaching resources.
She said 170 modern language laboratories were being established, including 70 in CM Shri Schools and 100 in other government schools, to improve students’ language and communication skills.
The Chief Minister also highlighted initiatives such as Neev, Rashtraneeti and NIPUN Sankalp, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, problem-solving, democratic values and foundational literacy and numeracy.
Calling for collective efforts to build responsible citizens, Gupta urged teachers to instil values of cleanliness, environmental protection, discipline, rule compliance, sensitivity and service among students.
She also emphasised the importance of educating children about ‘good touch and bad touch’ to strengthen awareness and safety.
‘No child should be deprived of education’
Referring to the government’s resolve to make Delhi free of begging, Gupta said the first priority must be ensuring that no child remains outside the education system.
She appealed to teachers, educational institutions and citizens to help bring out-of-school children back into mainstream education.
The Chief Minister said teachers would play a key role in preparing the country’s youth to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
“Our teachers will give a new direction to the resolve of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Viksit Delhi’,” she said.
10,417 teacher recruitment process initiated
Education Minister Ashish Sood said the contribution of thousands of teachers had been critical to strengthening Delhi’s education system.
He said the government had initiated the recruitment process for 10,417 teachers to address staff shortages. Provision has also been made for recruiting 613 special teachers to provide better educational support to students with special needs.
Sood said the government was working not only on teachers’ academic requirements but also on their administrative, human resources and professional development concerns.
He added that directions had been issued to address duty-related and other service issues involving guest teachers, expressing confidence that substantial progress would be made in resolving teachers’ HR-related concerns by next year.
The event was attended by Education Minister Ashish Sood, MP Bansuri Swaraj, MLAs Abhay Verma, Neeraj Basoya and Chandan Kumar Chaudhary, senior Education Department officials, principals, teachers, students and other dignitaries.
