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Three educators from India, making an impact with their visionary and innovative teaching initiatives, were named to the top 50 shortlist for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2026 on Monday.
Sudhanshu Shekhar Panda, a schoolteacher from Meerut; Mehraj Khourshid Malik, a teacher from Jammu and Kashmir; and Rouble Nagi, working on education in slums and rural communities across India, are in the running for the annual prize.
The GEMS Education worldwide contest, organised by the UK-based Varkey Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), received over 5,000 nominations from 139 countries for its 10th edition.
“The Global Teacher Prize was created with a simple mission: to shine a light on teachers like you – educators whose dedication, creativity, and compassion deserve to be celebrated and shared with the world,” Sunny Varkey, the Indian-origin founder of the Global Teacher Prize, said of the Indian nominees.
“Teachers shape minds, spark confidence, and open the doors through which young people create brighter futures for themselves and others. Your work extends far beyond the classroom – it touches lives and shapes the world,” he said.
Panda, an Economics and Geography teacher at K L International School in Meerut, has been shortlisted for his work with students from diverse backgrounds. His innovative approach through project-based learning, art-integrated instruction, early technology adoption and Yoga has consistently shown good outcomes in his students.
Panda also founded Phuhaar, which supports underprivileged families by providing education, essential resources and guidance.
Malik has been chosen for his work as an educator and community mentor in the conflict zone of Kashmir, with peacebuilding, emotional healing and de-radicalisation at its core.
After leaving a career at Microsoft, Malik has spent nearly a decade teaching in schools, religious institutions, rehabilitation centres and prisons. He has been recognised for creating two intervention models: Insaniyat Curriculum, an empathy-driven year-round school programme, and Sahi Rasta, a 23-day rehabilitation model for the region.
Nagi, the third Indian on the shortlist, is the founder of the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF) – created for low-cost, accessible learning models that are designed to bring education directly into underserved neighbourhoods. Her flagship programmes include Misaal Mumbai and Misaal India, which combine art, education, sanitation and community development in over 100 slums and villages across India.
“Teachers applying for the Global Teacher Prize are assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession and gain recognition from external bodies,” the prize organisers said in a statement.
The 2026 prize will be narrowed down to the top 10 finalists, with a winner chosen by the Global Teacher Prize Academy of prominent individuals to be announced at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February.(Indianexpress)
