05-09-2026 : Address by the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand On the Occasion of the Shailesh Matiyani State Educational Awards Ceremony 2025–26
Jai Hind!
Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami ji, Hon’ble Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat ji, officers of the Education Department, my fellow teachers who are being honoured with the Shailesh Matiyani State Educational Awards, and all distinguished guests present here,
I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all of you on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.
On this auspicious occasion, I respectfully pay homage to the great educationist, philosopher and former President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan ji. His life and thoughts remind us that the true purpose of education is not merely to impart knowledge, but to cultivate wisdom, values and character within a human being.
In our society, a teacher has never been regarded merely as a professional. A teacher is respected as a guide who gives direction to generations and shapes the future of the nation. Indeed, a teacher is a personality who imparts values along with knowledge, recognises talent and shows a student the right direction in life.
Today’s occasion is special because we are honouring those teachers who, through their knowledge, hard work, innovation and dedication, have given a new direction to education. To receive this honour among thousands of teachers is, in itself, a remarkable achievement. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the teachers being honoured today.
Respected fellow teachers,
In the mountainous region of Uttarakhand, this land of the gods and the land of valour, your role is not merely that of a teacher—you are playing the role of a Rishi.
Our geographical conditions are challenging. In many places, even reaching a school is an arduous task in itself. Yet, despite these difficult circumstances, your dedication remains unwavering. It is because of this commitment that the lamp of education continues to burn in the remote villages of the mountains, dreams are awakened in the eyes of children, and education reaches the very homes where it is needed the most.
From this platform at Lok Bhavan, I salute the spirit of that teacher sitting at the farthest corner of Uttarakhand, who is not merely teaching children their first letters, but is shaping the future of the nation on the slopes of the Himalayas.
When you hold the hand of a child from the mountains and instil in that child the confidence to move forward, that confidence eventually becomes self-belief and can transform the course of an entire life.
Remember this: the true success of a teacher will not be measured by how many students in his or her classroom score a perfect hundred out of hundred.
The greatest success will come on the day when an ordinary child, having walked out from some remote mountain pathway, goes on to shoulder the responsibility of the nation and proudly says:
“Whatever I am today, I owe it to my teacher, who was the first person to teach me how to dream.”
This is the greatest contribution of a teacher—to recognise the potential hidden within a child, instil confidence in that child’s heart, and give him or her the courage to move forward.
The sensitive Hindi literary writer Shailesh Matiyani ji gave voice through his writings to the struggles of the ordinary people of the mountains. He brought the life, struggles and emotions of the Himalayan people into literature with great strength and sensitivity.
The award presented in his name is a public recognition of your own struggle, sensitivity and sense of responsibility towards society.
Friends,
We are entering an era of education in which technology and Artificial Intelligence are creating new opportunities across the entire learning process. Technology and AI can make access to knowledge easier and education more effective. We must welcome them and use them to improve the quality, accessibility and learning experience of education.
For children in our remote and mountainous regions in particular, these technologies can become a bridge to a new world of knowledge and opportunities.
However, the purpose of education is not merely to make more information available. The true purpose of education is to develop within a child the ability to think, understand, question and make the right decisions.
Recognising a student’s curiosity, understanding his or her difficulties, guiding their talent and instilling the confidence to move forward—this is what makes education truly human.
Therefore, the education of the future must create a meaningful synergy between the power of technology and the sensitivity of the teacher. Technology should open new doors to learning, while the teacher should guide the student in moving forward through those doors.
The ways in which we learn will change in the coming years and new tools will emerge, but the teacher who understands and inspires a child will remain the most important link in the educational process.
The life of the great scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ji is an inspiring example of this.
His teacher, Shri Sivasubramania Iyer, awakened in him a curiosity for science and the confidence to do something new. A teacher recognised the curiosity of a child and gave him the confidence to move forward. That child went on to become one of India’s great scientists and later the President of India.
Therefore, no teacher should ever forget that the child sitting in his or her classroom today may one day become a person who represents the identity and aspirations of India.
Distinguished colleagues,
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has said that “the third decade of the 21st century belongs to Uttarakhand.”
This is not merely an expression of faith; it is a commitment for all of us.
And the first foundation of this commitment is being laid in our schools and classrooms.
The little child sitting in a classroom today may tomorrow become a scientist, soldier, doctor, teacher, entrepreneur, administrator or nation-builder who helps determine the direction of the country.
The light of knowledge, the strength of values and the spirit of dedication towards the nation that we kindle in the minds of our children today will become the identity of India tomorrow.
A lesson taught by you may help a child succeed in an examination, but a value imparted by you can give direction to that child’s entire life.
Another important responsibility of our teachers is to connect our children with their roots while giving them access to modern knowledge.
Our folk languages, folk culture, indigenous knowledge, environment, traditions and Himalayan way of life are our invaluable heritage.
A beautiful integration of modern education with our cultural consciousness can give our children confident, sensitive and well-balanced personalities.
Friends,
Let our schools become places where children come not out of fear, but with enthusiasm.
Let asking questions not be considered a weakness, but the beginning of learning.
Let every child receive an equal opportunity to move forward.
And, most importantly, let us give our children the courage to dream big and the confidence to turn those dreams into reality.
Our scriptures give us the prayer:
“Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya.”
That is—Lead us from darkness towards light.
A true teacher makes this prayer a reality through his or her actions.
A teacher leads a child from ignorance towards knowledge. A teacher creates hope in a child who feels discouraged, builds confidence in a student who considers himself or herself weak, and recognises extraordinary talent hidden within ordinary circumstances.
Today, I have only one request for all the teachers of Uttarakhand:
Teach your students not only subjects, but also the art of living. Give them values along with knowledge. Teach them the importance of sensitivity along with success. And awaken within them the spirit of “Nation First.”
Because a teacher does not shape merely the life of one student; a teacher shapes the character of the nation that is yet to come.
Once again, I extend my deepest respect and best wishes to all the recipients of the Shailesh Matiyani State Educational Awards being honoured today.
Remember—the award is not merely a medal or a certificate. It is a small symbol of gratitude from the 13 million people of Uttarakhand for your contribution.
Your greatest achievement is the smile of the child to whom you have given the light of letters and learning.
Your true success is the student whom you taught to believe in himself or herself.
This award is a milestone in your journey, not a full stop. Its true brilliance will be visible in the bright and fulfilling lives of your students.
I have complete faith that our teachers in Uttarakhand, through their talent, experience and dedication, will take the state’s education system to new heights.
Let us come together and create an educational environment where every child can learn without fear, ask questions freely, move forward with confidence and find the courage to fulfil his or her dreams.
This will be our responsibility towards our children, and it will also be our invaluable contribution to the journey from a developed Uttarakhand to a developed India.
With this resolve, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on Teachers’ Day and convey my best wishes for a bright and fulfilling future to all the teachers being honoured today.
With these words, I conclude my address.
Vande Mataram!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Jai Hind!