New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu conferred the National Teachers Award for 2017 on the Headmaster-in-Charge of Jeypore Government High School, Om Prakash Mishra, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day at Vigyan Bhawan here Wednesday.
During the event, the Ministry of Human Resources Development also screened short films on the journeys of each teacher.
Mishra is the only teacher from Odisha among the 45, selected for the prestigious award this year by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD). The Vice President and HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar have congratulated all the award winners.
While talking to Orissa POST, Mishra narrated his interaction with the Vice President. “He (Vice President) asked me which part of the country you belong to? I told him that I belong to Koraput, Odisha. Then, Prakash Javadekar said that Koraput is one of the most backward areas of the country after which Naidu congratulated me and asked me to keep it up.”
“I’m excited after receiving this award and I’m proud of being an Odiya. This award is a token of inspiration for me to move forward for the welfare of tribal students.” He was a recipient of state government’s Best Teacher award last year.
Mishra further said that one of the major challenges in tribal areas is the lack of well equipped laboratories which makes it difficult for science teachers to teach the students.
About his future goals, he said, “I got to know about lots of new practices from other teachers here, we are sharing contact details with each other and after going back to school I will implement all the best practices in my school too.”
Mishra, who teaches science and mathematics at the government high school, had started his teaching career with Mathapada High School under Boipariguda block in Koraput district in 1998. He had written a science practical handbook, Experimento, in 2015 to help teachers of rural areas in conducting practical classes.
He has also prepared a 40-day practice book Kinetics to help students in clearing the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship test.
Block grant teachers observe ‘Black Day’
Bhubaneswar: While most of the schools across the state celebrated Teachers’ Day Wednesday, block grant teachers and lecturers belonging to the Odisha School College Teachers’ and Employees’ United Forum (OSCTEUF) observed ‘Black Day’ protesting against non-fulfilment of their demands by the government.
Braving the heavy rains in the city, a large number of protesters staged a demo at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg raising their long-standing demands.
The teachers have been protesting for the last 21 days at Lower PMG demanding abolishment of the block grant system, equal pay for equal work and regularisation. The protesters threatened the government that they would shut down all block grant schools and colleges from September 6 if the government tries to test their patience anymore.
OSCTEUF President Golak Nayak said, “We would gherao the houses of MLAs across the state September 6 and 7 and conduct rallies in every panchayat from the 17 of this month to pressure the government.”
School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra said, “The demand is genuine and the government has agreed to it. The teachers will have to understand that legal and financial procedures take time, and that the CM is personally monitoring this issue. The government is trying to implement it as soon as possible.”
BJP state unity in-charge Arun Singh said, “It’s a matter of shame for the Chief Minister that not only teachers but also government officers, doctors, nurses and anganwadi and asha workers are on the streets asking for their rights.”
State Congress President Niranjan Patnaik also joined the protesters.
Meanwhile, the annual state and district-level programmes to felicitate teachers have been postponed indefinitely.