On the occasion of National Teachers’ Day 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged teachers to look beyond students’ academic performance and remain alert to issues such as drug addiction and excessive screen time.
Interacting with the 82 National Teachers’ Award recipients, PM Modi encouraged teachers to engage with parents and help students reduce excessive mobile-phone use by promoting sports, physical activities and creative hobbies. He also stressed the importance of teachers paying attention to students’ behaviour, emotional well-being and everyday lives.
PM Modi said teachers have an important role in keeping childhood alive, nurturing curiosity and helping students develop values beyond what is taught in textbooks. He also highlighted the importance of experiential learning and connecting education with real-world skills.
This year, 82 teachers and educators received the National Teachers’ Awards, including school teachers, higher-education faculty and skill trainers.
