Shiv Nadar Foundation, Oxford’s Saïd Business School launch India’s Best Teachers’ Awards

April 30, 2026 /Posted byPrajwal EW / 0

The Shiv Nadar Foundation, in collaboration with Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, has launched India’s Best Teachers’ Awards, a national initiative to recognise high-school educators and strengthen classroom practices.

The programme was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed in New Delhi. It aims to identify and recognise teaching practices with measurable classroom impact and contribute to strengthening the teaching profession in line with the National Education Policy 2020.

India has more than 9.8 million teachers across its school system. The organisers said the initiative seeks to create a platform to identify and scale effective teaching practices across diverse classroom contexts.

The awards will cover educators teaching Grades 9 to 12 across eight subjects: Geography, Business Studies and Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Economics, Physics, English, Environmental Sciences and Mathematics. Applications are open to teachers from government and private schools across central and state boards.

Winners will receive a full scholarship to attend a one-week programme at Saïd Business School in Oxford. The programme will focus on pedagogy and leadership and offer exposure to international academic perspectives.

Shikhar Malhotra, Trustee at the Shiv Nadar Foundation, said the awards aim to highlight classroom impact and support the wider teaching ecosystem. Manos Kapterian, Chief Operating Officer at Saïd Business School, said improving education outcomes depends on recognising and supporting teachers. Josephine Fawkes, Director of Youth Education and Global Inclusion at the school, said the initiative supports continued professional development for educators.

The selection process will include a multi-stage evaluation assessing teaching methodology, classroom practice and student outcomes, including improvements in learning and engagement.

Applications for the 2026 awards open on May 1 and close on July 31. Finalists will present their work at an in-person event scheduled for September 4–5 at Shiv Nadar University.

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Shiv Nadar Foundation, Oxford’s Saïd Business School launch India’s Best Teachers’ Awards

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