Pranab presents National Awards to teachers on Teachers’ Day

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented National Awards to teachers from across the country at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today (September 5, 2013) on the occasion of Teachers' Day.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that a sound education system is the bedrock of an enlightened society. It is the cornerstone on which a progressive, democratic society is built - where rule of law prevails, where there is a high degree of civility and respect for the rights of others as well as our own.

The President said that development, to his mind, is about people, their values and their faithfulness to their spiritual and cultural heritage.

He stated that as we move forward, it is a holistic education that should play a definitive role in shaping our values. He stated that he saw a pivotal role for the teachers in re-setting the moral compass. The teachers have to help our youth imbibe the essential civilizational values.

The President said that we need to create systems for continuous assessment of the quality of education and the outcome of our educational inputs.

Our educational institutions have such teachers who can shape the thoughts of the young minds. Through words, actions and deeds, such teachers inspire the students and elevate them to a higher level of performance and thinking.

Such inspired teachers should be encouraged to share their knowledge, wisdom and philosophy with the larger student community. He called upon teachers to stay firm on the path of leading India forward to its next golden age.

Also present on the occasion were Shri M.M. Pallam Raju, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development.