Chandigarh, 04 September (H.S.): The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government will honour 75 outstanding educators with the prestigious State Teacher Awards 2026 on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced.

Bains said the awardees have been selected strictly on merit under the State Teacher Awards Policy. Of the 75 teachers, 55 will receive the State Teacher Award, 10 will be honoured with the Young Teacher Award, four with the Special Teacher Award and six with Administrative Awards.

The Education Minister said the Punjab Government takes pride in recognising teachers for their contribution to shaping young minds and strengthening the state’s education system. He said the selection process was transparent and merit-based, with excellence, dedication and commitment forming the key criteria.

Bains said the awards reflect the state government’s commitment to encouraging educators and promoting a culture of excellence across schools in Punjab.

“Teachers are the foundation of our education system and it is our duty to celebrate their relentless efforts,” Bains said. He congratulated all the selected teachers and urged the teaching community to continue working with dedication for better learning outcomes.

The minister also credited teachers for Punjab’s recent achievements in the education sector. He said Punjab has been recognised by NITI Aayog as the top-performing state in classroom learning outcomes for 2026-27.

He further said Punjab also secured the No. 1 position in the country in the Government of India’s PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, ahead of Kerala.

Bains said these achievements were the result of the hard work of teachers and the reforms being undertaken in the education sector.

The awards ceremony will be held on Teachers’ Day, where the selected educators will be honoured for their contribution to teaching, student development, innovation and administration.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH