President to Honor Her in Delhi on Teachers’ Day, September 5
Key Points:
- Munmun Bhattacharya of Barmasia school picked for National Teacher Award 2026
- Jharkhand had nominated three teachers; she stood out among them
- Winners will receive Rs 50,000 cash prize, silver medal and certificate
DHANBAD – A school teacher from Dhanbad has been chosen for one of the country’s most prestigious teaching honours, bringing pride to the district. Munmun Bhattacharya, in-charge headmistress of Madhya Vidyalaya Barmasia, has been selected by the Union Ministry of Education for the National Teacher Award 2026.
She will be felicitated by the President of India in New Delhi on September 5, which is observed as Teachers’ Day. The Ministry had announced the list of selected teachers across the country, and Bhattacharya was the sole name from Dhanbad to make the cut.
Dhanbad had put forward the names of three teachers from the state for the national honour this year. However, it was Bhattacharya, working under limited resources at Barmasia Middle School, who carved out a distinct identity through her innovative teaching methods.
Selected teachers under the National Teacher Award receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000, along with a silver medal and a certificate of merit. Bhattacharya has been working at the Barmasia school since 2019. Before that, she was posted at a government school in Muri-Silli.
Besides classroom teaching, she prepared her own Teaching Learning Material, known as TLM, to make lessons more engaging for children despite the school’s constrained resources. Moreover, she pushed for computer-based learning and better use of the school library rather than confining education to textbooks.
She also played a key role in activating the Bal Sansad, or Children’s Parliament, at the school and ensured full enrolment of children from the catchment area. In addition, a nutrition garden was developed on the school premises to connect students with nature and environmental conservation, alongside efforts toward water conservation.
On the other hand, several activities were introduced to build leadership skills and confidence among students, and these efforts translated into a visible positive shift in the school’s overall academic environment.
News of her selection for the national honour triggered celebrations at Barmasia Middle School. Well-wishers from across the school family, as well as residents of the city, have been lining up to congratulate her.
Bhattacharya’s husband, Sachin Kumar, is also a teacher. Her father, Nandan Bhattacharya, had worked at the Directorate General of Mines Safety, or DGMS, in Dhanbad, and retired from service in 2013.
She received the invitation for the President’s felicitation ceremony through email. As per the invitation letter, she has been asked to reach Delhi by September 3, for which she will leave her residence at Saraydhela in Dhanbad on September 2.
“This award is not just mine. It belongs to the entire school family,” she said. She added that the achievement would not have been possible without the support of teachers, students and parents. She further said she would continue working to improve the standard of children’s education in the years ahead.
The National Teacher Award is conferred annually to recognise outstanding contributions in school education across India. This year, teachers from across states, including three from Jharkhand, were considered for the honour before the final list was announced.
Government schools in mining regions such as Dhanbad often function with constrained infrastructure and staffing. Teachers working under such conditions who introduce innovative methods, including board-linked initiatives and community engagement, are among those regularly considered for such national recognition, alongside broader efforts to improve school-level learning outcomes and education priorities in the state.
