05-09-2025 : Governor, Chief Minister and Education Minister Felicitate Teachers with the ‘Shailesh Matiyani State Educational Awards’ at Raj Bhawan
Rajbhawan Dehradun 05 September, 2025
On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, the “Shailesh Matiyani State Educational Awards” ceremony was organized at Raj Bhawan, Dehradun on Friday. The Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat jointly felicitated 16 teachers selected for the 2024 awards. Among them were 9 primary teachers, 5 secondary teachers, 1 teacher trainer, and 1 Sanskrit teacher. (List enclosed).
The Governor congratulated the award recipients, describing the honour as a symbol of the dedication and perseverance of the entire teaching fraternity. He emphasized that teachers are not only providers of knowledge but also builders of character, morality, and life values. Education, he said, must go beyond employment to nurture responsible, value-driven, and patriotic citizens.
He further highlighted that after parents, teachers are the true guides of children, shaping their future with wisdom and direction. He expressed confidence that teachers will play a decisive role in India’s vision of becoming a Vishwaguru by 2047. The Governor urged teachers to instill reading habits among children, connect them with sports, culture, and creative pursuits, and safeguard them from distractions in the age of the internet and social media.
Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his greetings on Teachers’ Day and said that shaping the personality and future of students through knowledge and dedication is the greatest responsibility of teachers. He congratulated the awardees and recalled that Shailesh Matiyani was a celebrated storyteller who deeply portrayed the struggles and sentiments of Uttarakhand’s hills and villages through literature. He said that in Indian tradition, the Guru has always been regarded as more than a teacher – a true guide who plants the seeds of patriotism, discipline, values, and culture in students. In today’s digital era, this role has become even more critical.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the state government’s initiatives under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to strengthen the education system. He noted that Uttarakhand was the first state to implement the National Education Policy 2020 and to introduce ‘Bal Vatika’ in 2022. The state has also developed its own State Curriculum Framework and launched the Kaushalam Programme to promote skills, entrepreneurship, and Indian knowledge traditions.
Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat shared details of the department’s innovations and achievements, including the launch of virtual classes in 1,340 schools, smart classes in 950 schools, and vocational courses in 550 schools. He informed that sports complexes are being established in every district, 22,000 primary teachers have been provided tablets, and recruitment for nearly 9,500 posts in the education sector is underway this year.
The ceremony was attended by Secretary, School Education, Shri Ravinath Raman, who welcomed the dignitaries and provided an overview of the awards, while Additional Secretary, Smt. Ranjana Rajguru, delivered the vote of thanks. Family members of late Shailesh Matiyani, including Shri Rakesh Matiyani and Smt. Geeta Matiyani, senior officials of the Education Department, and the award-winning teachers were present at the event.
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