Manipur joined the rest of the country in observing Teachers’ Day on Saturday with a state-level celebration organised by the State Education Department at the City Convention Centre in Imphal.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand attended the programme as the Chief Guest, while newly appointed Chief Secretary Rajeev Singh Thakur presided over the event.
During the celebration, seven teachers were conferred with the State Teachers’ Awards 2026 in recognition of their contributions to increasing student enrolment, preventing school dropouts and introducing innovative teaching methods.
DM College of Teacher Education Associate Professor Kh. Dineshkumar and the team behind the Building and Learning Aid (BaLa) initiative were also presented with appreciation certificates for their contributions to education.
Three colleges received the Educational Excellence Award, along with cash prizes of ₹5 lakh, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh, respectively. Five other colleges were given consolation prizes of ₹1 lakh each.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Khemchand said a teacher’s greatest virtue lies in treating every student in the classroom like a member of their own family.
He also praised students of TG Higher Secondary School and CC Higher Secondary School for withdrawing their support from a general strike called by some civil society organisations (CSOs) demanding the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the census.
Khemchand urged individuals and CSOs to opt for dialogue and negotiations before launching agitations, stressing that such disruptions disproportionately affect the poorest sections of society.
Chief Secretary Rajeev Singh Thakur appreciated initiatives such as BaLa and encouraged the award-winning teachers to continue striving for excellence and not rest on their achievements.
