Vidhya Seva Samman 2026 Honours 10 Outstanding Teachers of Chennai with ₹50,000 Prize and Citation of Honour

Chennai, September 6, 2026 – Mission Guru Devo Bhava, in association with the Lions Club of Meenambakkam and Vedritam Group (formerly D.A.V. Group, Chennai), today presented the Vidhya Seva Samman 2026, honouring 10 outstanding teachers of Chennai for their dedication to education and contribution to shaping young minds. Each awardee received a ₹50,000 prize along with a Citation of Honour.

The award ceremony was held at D.A.V. Girls Senior Secondary School, Gopalapuram, Chennai, and was graced by CA S. Gurumurthy, eminent thinker, columnist, social commentator and Editor of Thuglak, as Chief Guest.

The Vidhya Seva Samman is rooted in the Guru Devo Bhava movement, initiated on September 8, 2012, under the guidance and mentorship of CA S. Gurumurthy and under the auspices of the Lions Club of Meenambakkam, Chennai. The movement seeks to engage, inspire, enrich and empower teachers and to strengthen pride in teaching and honour for teachers. Over the years, it has brought together students, parents and educators through educational forums, discussions, honours, documentaries and other initiatives aimed at strengthening the Guru-Shishya bond.

Speaking on the occasion, CA S. Gurumurthy said:

“Teaching is not merely a profession; being a Guru is a mission. A Guru is one who removes darkness and leads the student towards light. In our civilisation, the Guru-Shishya tradition has played a profound role in preserving knowledge, values and culture across generations. The true impact of a teacher cannot always be measured through academic achievements or numbers; it is reflected in the ability to inspire, nurture and shape the character of young minds. Education must therefore go beyond preparing children for careers and help them develop values, responsibility and respect for society.”

Speaking at the event, CA Anil Khicha, Co-Founder, Mission Guru Devo Bhava, said:

“Fourteen years ago, Guru Devo Bhava began with a simple thought: what kind of society are we going to leave behind for our children? We realised that if we want to shape the society of tomorrow, we must begin with our teachers, because teachers shape our children, and our children shape the society of tomorrow.

The Vidhya Seva Samman is a simple expression of society’s gratitude to our teachers. The ₹50,000 prize and Citation of Honour are not the real Samman; the real Samman is when society tells a teacher, ‘We value you, we respect you and we are grateful to you.’ Through these ten awardees, we offer our gratitude to the entire teaching community.”

The 10 teachers honoured with the Vidhya Seva Samman 2026 were Dr. Kala Raman of P.S. Higher Secondary School; Mr. Thanukrishnan J. of Smt. Durgadevi Choudhary Vivekananda Vidyalaya (Senior Secondary School); Dr. Shalika Banu of Fathima Central Senior Secondary School; Ms. G. Sripriya of Motilal Fomra Sanatana Dharma Higher Secondary School; Mrs. J. R. Lakshmi Kantham of The Children’s Garden Higher Secondary School; Ms. K. Revathy of Chennai Higher Secondary School; Ms. Janaki G. of Lady Sivaswami Ayyar Girls Higher Secondary School; Ms. Sujatha Mukundan of Shri Natesan Vidyasala Matriculation Higher Secondary School; Ms. Seema Madan of Kola Saraswathi Vaishnav Senior Secondary School; and Mr. R. Subramanian of Government Model Higher Secondary School.

Speaking on the importance of values in education, Shri Lakshmi Narayan Sharma, veteran educator and educationist, who travelled over 2,500 kilometres from his village, Leedi, in Ajmer district, Rajasthan, to attend the ceremony, said:

“Education must prepare children not only for a career, but for life. Having spent over 50 years as a teacher, I have seen that values, character and compassion are what truly equip children for the future and enable them to contribute meaningfully to society. A teacher should make a child fit and responsible for society. It is this belief that brought me from Rajasthan to be here today—to bless and be part of an occasion that honours the teachers who shape these values in our children.”

Speaking on the significance of the Guru-Shishya tradition, Smt. Padma Subramanian, eminent Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and Guru, said:

“I began teaching at the age of 14, and today my students carry what I have shared with them across the world. To me, a Guru does not merely impart knowledge; a Guru passes on a tradition, values and a way of life. That is why I am deeply happy to see Guru Devo Bhava growing as a movement that recognises and honours this sacred bond. I have no doubt that it will continue to grow and touch many more lives.”

She added, “Teaching is nothing but learning.”

Speaking on behalf of the Jury, Shri Gopal Agrawal, philanthropist and educator, said:

“The Vidhya Seva Samman is an expression of society’s gratitude to teachers who dedicate themselves to shaping young minds and making a meaningful difference in their students’ lives. The selection was based not only on academic achievements or years of service, but also on each teacher’s dedication, ability to inspire, commitment to values, innovation and contribution beyond the classroom. Selecting 10 awardees from among so many deserving educators was challenging. We congratulate the awardees and express our gratitude to the entire teaching fraternity.”

The Samman received 217 nominations, which were screened by a seven-member committee of experienced educators before being considered by the Jury, comprising Shri V. Nandakumar, Padma Shri Prof. V. Kamakoti, Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, Shri Gopal Agrawal and Shri K. V. K. Sriram. Smt. Uma Maheshwari, Dean of Akshaya School and Head of the Screening Committee, highlighted the difficulty of selecting just 10 teachers from among so many passionate and deserving educators.

Since its inception, Guru Devo Bhava has worked to enhance pride in teaching and honour for teachers through programmes, talks, educational forums, competitions, discussions, documentaries and the Teachers’ Anthem. The Vidhya Seva Samman carries this journey forward by recognising dedicated teachers and bringing greater attention to the value of teaching in society.