- Second edition of the award recognises school educators who strengthened conceptual foundations in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras honoured six school teachers with the First Principles Teachers Award 2026 at its campus in Chennai on 9 March.
The award recognises educators who contributed to building conceptual understanding in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics among pre-university students who later pursued engineering education. The awards were presented by V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.
Instituted by the institute, the award highlights the role of school teachers in shaping students’ academic foundations before they enter higher education in science and engineering. The initiative focuses on recognising teachers who help students develop strong conceptual understanding and analytical thinking in core science subjects.
Kamakoti said school teachers often play a critical role in shaping students’ academic interests and learning approaches at an early stage, adding that the initiative seeks to acknowledge this contribution.
Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Courses), IIT Madras, said students with strong conceptual grounding at the school level tend to perform better during their undergraduate studies in engineering and related fields.
The selection process began with first-year undergraduate students at IIT Madras nominating school teachers who had influenced their learning during pre-university education. An expert panel subsequently interviewed nominated teachers and selected the awardees. Shortlisted teachers were also encouraged to invite their current students to express support through voting as part of the evaluation process.
The teachers recognised in the 2026 edition represent institutions across multiple cities in India and were selected for their contributions to teaching core science subjects.
The awardees include Sanjay Kumar from Pune and Asheshanand Acharya from Bengaluru for Physics; Kapil Birthare from Indore and C. Chitti Babu from Tirupati for Chemistry; and Samudrala Vijaya Kumar from Tirupati and Nishant Sharma from Kota for Mathematics.
According to IIT Madras, nominations for the award were received from teachers across several cities and towns in India, reflecting participation from a wide range of schools and institutions.
