Nita Chandrashekhar Javale From Maharashtra Among Top 10 Educators Named In Vivo Ignite 2026 Fellowship
Vivo India announced 10 educators selected for the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship under Vivo Ignite 2026. The fellows will be felicitated at the national finale in New Delhi on October 28, for their contributions to STEM education. The fellowship received more than 200 applications from across India. Following a rigorous evaluation, 10 educators from 6 states, 1 UT and 10 districts were selected.
Vivo India has announced the selection of 10 educators as National Teacher Innovation Fellows under the fourth edition of Vivo Ignite 2026, honouring educators who go beyond conventional classroom learning to foster student curiosity, experimentation, problem-solving, and STEM innovation. Introduced as a new component of Vivo Ignite 4.0, the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship (NTIF) aims to strengthen the STEM education ecosystem by recognizing contributions to experiential learning, innovative pedagogy, and inclusive classroom practices.
Fellowship Selection and Evaluation Process
The fellowship drew more than 200 applications from across 14 states and 26 districts nationwide. Following an initial screening, 30 educators progressed to an interview stage, said Vivo Vivo V80 Launching in India on October 6; 4K Cinematic Video and 7,200mAh Battery Revealed.
A rigorous final evaluation assessed candidates across four core areas: innovation in teaching practice, inclusive and adaptive teaching, real-world impact and STEM application, and vision, leadership, and scale. The evaluation panel comprised nine experts and academicians from the education and STEM ecosystem, including representatives from IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies and the Science Olympiad Foundation. The selected fellows represent six states and one union territory, bringing multidisciplinary expertise spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, computer science, maker education, and inclusive STEM learning.
Recognized Educators and Details
The top 10 educators chosen for the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship are detailed below:
| Educator Name | State / UT | Subject / Focus Area | Initiative & Impact Details |
| R. Chandrasekaran | Tamil Nadu | Science & Mathematics | Runs the 'Your Problem, Your Solution' program, encouraging tribal students in the Kolli Hills to develop solutions to community challenges. His work has reached 10,000+ students and supported 72 student projects. |
| S Mani | Assam | Physics | Founded 'Akashavidyalaya – Sky School of India', taking astronomy beyond textbooks through solar studies, asteroid searches, and instrument-building across 11 schools, reaching 2,000+ students and public members. |
| Nitesh Kumar | Haryana | AI, Robotics & IoT | Utilizes a 'Problem-to-Prototype' approach guiding students through the innovation cycle. His work has impacted 10,000 students and 500 projects, with participants advancing to platforms like the VEX World Championship and ISEF. |
| C. Manikyam Reddy | Tamil Nadu | Physics | Implements an 'Enrich the Soil' hands-on, experiential approach utilizing low-cost, 21st-century experiments to cultivate creative problem-solving, reaching over 1,000 students and mentoring roughly 20 projects. |
| Neeru Mittal | Delhi | STEM & Maker Education | Operates 'Masti ki Prayogshala', where students design, build, and refine everyday solutions. Her initiatives have reached 4,000+ students—including 1,800 girls—and generated over 250 innovations. |
| Sadhana Kaushik | Uttar Pradesh | STEM / Atal Tinkering Lab | Developed an 'Idea-to-Impact' pipeline enabling students to identify problems, apply design thinking, prototype, and refine solutions to embed school-wide innovation. |
| Periyasamy P | Tamil Nadu | STEM, Robotics & AI | Focuses on STEM, robotics, and AI-based learning, employing hands-on methodologies to encourage student exploration of advanced technologies and problem-solving. |
| Lalit Mohan Sahu | Telangana | Science, Mathematics & Music | A 25-year veteran educator utilizing a 'Rhythmic STEM' approach to simplify science and mathematics through music. He also supports visually impaired students for national and international participation. |
| Nita Chandrashekhar Javale | Maharashtra | Computer Science & ATL | Combines computer science and Atal Tinkering Lab frameworks to create hands-on technology innovation opportunities for students. |
| Ekta Sharma | Uttar Pradesh | Science & Physics | Applies experiential learning models in science and physics to cultivate student curiosity, practical experimentation, and application-based learning. |
National Finale and Leadership Remarks
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Geetaj Channana, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, vivo India, stated: “Teachers play a critical role in shaping how students experience innovation; encouraging them to question, experiment and apply their learning to real-world challenges. Through the National Teacher Innovation Fellowship, we wanted to honour and acknowledge educators who are creating such learning environments and enabling students to think beyond the classroom." Vivo X Fold 6 Global Release Could Be Sooner Than Expected; Here's Leaked Launch Date. Specifications.
Geetaj further added, "The diversity of the 10 fellows and the approaches they have developed across different classroom contexts demonstrate that innovation does not have to be limited by resources or geography. By recognising and celebrating these educators, vivo Ignite aims to contribute to a stronger culture of experiential and inclusive learning, while creating a ripple effect that can inspire many more young innovators.” The 10 fellows will be officially felicitated at the Vivo Ignite 4.0 National Finale scheduled for October 28, 2026, at Bharath Mandapam in New Delhi, alongside student innovators, educators, and industry experts.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2026 12:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
