Osmanabad, Sep 5 (PTI) Umesh Khose, a primary teacher from a Zilla Parishad school in Osmanabad in Maharashtra, was among the 44 persons who were conferred the National Teachers' Awards by President Ram Nath Kovind at a function in Delhi on Sunday.

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The national-level awards are given on Teachers' Day to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour those who, through their commitment, have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students.

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Khose, part of a ZP school in Kaddora village in Lohara tehsil here, was also earlier selected for the National ICT Award for 2018 by the Central Institute of Education Technology (CIET), a body functioning under the NCERT.

Officials said Khose, amid the coronavirus outbreak, was teaching his students online using TV, tabs, projectors and mobile phones, ensuring the lockdown did not hamper the progress of his pupils.

The National Awards to Teachers were first instituted in 1958 to recognise the excellence and commitment of teachers in shaping the minds as well as the future of the youth. From the mid-60s onwards, September 5 came to be the fixed date for the function on account of the birthday of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, former president of India and an eminent educationist.

This year, an online self-nomination process was followed by a three-tier selection process at district, state and national level.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)