"Ministry of Education congratulates recipients of the National Award to Teachers - 2023"
Smt. Mehta Zankhana Dilipbhai is a Lecturer in the Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Government Polytechnic, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She teaches Instrumentation and Control Engineering and Automation and Robotics Engineering and is an extremely popular teacher amongst her students. Apart from routine academics, Smt. Mehta motivates a large number of students to pursue entrepreneurial journeys by working on innovative products and technologies. She was instrumental in establishing the Project and innovation lab and is also responsible for the implementation of various projects by Govt of Gujarat acknowledged Smt. Mehta’s efforts as ‘Mentor’ for handholding innovation and Start-up activities of diploma students by felicitating her with ‘SSIP Prashansa Award-2020’. Smt. Mehta is also a Psychological Counsellor for students and available for them even after office hours. She is in the forefront of academics and a member board of studies for new courses like Automation and Robotic Engineering. Moreover she is mentoring degree Engineering students in internship.
Prof Keshav Kashinath Sangle is a very popular and effective teacher, a competent administrator and an excellent researcher. In true-sense he is a holistic academician, who has been in the teaching profession for over 2 decades. As a civil engineering teacher, he has successfully evolved an innovative teaching methodology of using learning from his live industry/government/research projects for effective pedagogy by giving huge emphasis on problem-solving methodology with students. Prof. Sangle is quite innovative in his teaching and has used this approach in revising curriculum, aligning with NEP. He was also instrumental in implementing government programs like Prerna, Margdarshan, and TEQIP-II Mentor- Mentee schemes, supporting students and engineering colleges nationwide. He has also founded a Skill Development Centre for the Maharashtra State Government, aimed at enhancing the employability of rural students in Ratnagiri District. He holds membership of 3 International and National professional bodies.
Dr. S. R. Mahadeva Prasanna is a Professor of Electronics & Communication Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad. With a background rooted in a family of educators, he is driven by a genuine passion for teaching, evident in his teaching approach and excellent student feedback. He has played a pivotal role in both the development of IIT Guwahati and the establishment of IIT Dharwad. He introduced key courses such as speech processing, neural networks, deep learning, etc. by effectively tailoring them to students from diverse departments. This innovative approach has enabled students to secure admissions in esteemed institutions nationally and internationally. Beyond academia, Dr. Prasanna's commitment to research and innovation is exemplary. He has his research groups and has also fostered multiple industry-academia collaborations. Dr. Prasanna has mentored faculty from other engineering colleges in teaching, research and project proposal writing. His initiatives include multiple faculty development programs, workshops, conferences, invited talks, and cultural events, enriching both the campus community and external institutions.
Dr. Dinesh Babu is an Associate Professor of Electronics & Electrical Engineering at the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIITB). His students perceive him as an excellent teacher as his lectures are of highly engaging nature. Dr. Dinesh has developed a unique problem-theory-practicing methodology for teaching very complex theories in simple fashion which are otherwise very difficult to teach. Moreover, Dr. Dinesh has also developed best practices for ensuring effective teaching for large classes (300+ students) which even includes weekly feedback from students which is rare. He has excellent student feedback as a teacher and even his online course on Predictive Analytics, offered as part of the online education program of IIITB, has benefited 1000's of students. Dr. Dinesh is also passionate about helping students beyond his own institution. He actively participated in the Excite program of IIITB for secondary school students. For helping rural students qualify competitive exams (eg: UPSC), Dr. Babu has developed a Virtual Reality interviewing platform. This cutting-edge platform employs AI and Virtual Reality, featuring five virtual interviewers who evaluate candidates online through a VR based interviewing process. Now, Karnataka government's minority affairs department has adopted this solution for training students of rural areas.
Dr. Farheen Bano, an assistant professor of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, is one of the most inspiring teachers of AKTU. She has a diverse range of academic roles in Architectural design, drawing, history, services, energy conservation and simulation. She not only instills deep subject knowledge but provides guidance in overall personality developments of students, creative thinking and critical analysis in design and rational development which has contributed much in personal and professional growth of many students in Architecture. Dr. Bano also promotes students to pursue research in the field of Architecture, which is not very common. Her support is not limited to class but extends far and beyond. She is go-to-person for all the brainstorming sessions, doubt clearance, future scope guidance & field research. Her non-judgemental and empathetic approach towards students made them connected with her for years. She is a recipient of the International Best Researcher in Architecture Award from Rula Awards: Research Peace Awards in 2019, Best Teacher Award by AKTU Lucknow in 2021 for recognition for exceptional teaching abilities, 2022 (Outstanding Teacher Award) by the International Institute of Organized Research (I2OR), Government of India.
Prof. Suman Chakraborty is Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. He has built the first ever Microfluidics Lab in India of global standards and has innovated unique frugal bench-top experiments for effective teaching-learning purpose, which subsequently advanced into good quality products. He mentors a wide range of students which include Post-Docs, Ph.Ds (50+), masters, graduate and even school children. His focus is primarily on interdisciplinary areas and emerging technologies. He is also mentoring several student-driven start-ups to foster the impact of their translational research percolating to the grassroot level. He has also trained socially-challenged rural entrepreneurs, especially girls for creating sustainable enterprise models of rural healthcare. He has been bestowed with several National and International accolades, including the Fellowship of the American Physical Society, Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Fellowship of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, Infosys Prize and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize from the Government of India. Undoubtedly, Prof. Chakraborty is a passionate teacher and a fantastic researcher, hence perceived amongst the best in the institution.
Shri Sayam Sen Gupta, a Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences, IISER Kolkata, is an excellent teacher, and researcher and is actively involved in science outreach among students, especially in municipal schools. He also ran the corporate-funded exciting science group for a decade, which aimed at conveying the excitement of science and technology to school students. Their group had adopted three Pune Municipal Corporation Schools, wherein weekly science club sessions are conducted to help students learn the scientific method, making observations, framing hypotheses, and reaching conclusions; and finally learning how to ask and frame research questions and develop an approach. He has also undertaken several sponsored research projects with SERB and DST.
Dr. Chandragouda Raosaheb Patil, a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur has over 20 years of experience in teaching. As a teacher, he has always strived to make himself available for students using modern pedagogical tools. A pharmacologist by profession, he has even developed software and hardware tools of his subject domain, which are in use for more than 2 decades by the teachers and students of Pharmacy, Medical and paramedical fraternities throughout the country and also abroad. His artificial mice device gained prominence after the ban on animal-based experiments and dissections came into existence in our country. His work has been appreciated with ‘The Best Presentation Award’ and ‘Young Scientist Award’ from World Congresses on Alternatives to Animals in Life Sciences at Rome, Italy and Tokyo, Japan in 2009 and 2007 respectively. Dr. Patil is a recipient of prestigious awards like ‘Innovator Teacher Award’ from the Education Ministry and ‘Young Scientist Award’ from the AYUSH Ministry.
Dr. Raghavan B. Sunoj, is par-excellent Chemistry Professor at IIT Bombay. He is very instrumental in inspiring and motivating the young generation with the excitement of learning and to take up science as a career option. He has been a resource person in several outreach programs such as the 'teach ten thousand college teachers' a national-level program. He has actively contributed in taking college level organic chemistry through a problem solving approach to rural India. He has been an active member of summer school programs in theoretical chemistry and organic chemistry. Sunoj has been a recipient of various awards including Prof. S. P. Sukhatme Excellence in Teaching Award, IIT Bombay, 2017 and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize for chemical science in 2019. His students consider him to be one of the best teachers of IIT Bombay.
Prof. Indranath Sengupta is one of the most popular teachers at IIT Gandhinagar. He has an approachable personality and is an excellent listener. His lucid teaching methods ensure that difficult mathematical theories become exciting. He has established himself as a stalwart in mathematical teaching. His impact is clear from the sheer number of his students, many of whom are now faculty members at various premier Indian educational institutes. Prof. Sengupta is known for spending hours in the company of students, answering their queries and helping them to overcome their academic inhibitions. He also coordinates the Student Support Service cell of IIT Gandhinagar which was set up to promote students’ welfare. In addition to classroom teaching, Prof. Sengupta has also participated in numerous outreach activities and workshops to promote Mathematics teaching in the country, with the sole intention of encouraging students and teachers alike to learn to enjoy the subject. He has always been of the conviction that a teacher’s role is to teach “How to ask good questions?”. He has also developed a course module in Mathematics, for e-PG Pathshala, in order to reach out to students through online resources.
Dr Ashish Baldi is presently working as Professor and Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda. With over 20 years of academic experience, he has expertise in innovative pedagogical approaches for better academic delivery. His teaching methodology transcends traditional boundaries, fostering an environment of interactive learning, critical thinking, and holistic development. Beyond exceptional teaching, his mentorship has been instrumental in shaping professional trajectories for students. Being Chief Mentor of IDEA Lab, he has created an ecosystem to nurture innovative and out-of-the-box thinking within students, leading to development of many innovative products. A perfect blend of student centric academician, acclaimed researcher, able administrator and impactful societal contributions make him a distinguished teacher in the field of Pharmacy.
Dr. Satya Ranjan Acharya is a Professor and Director, Department of Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India. An academician in the areas of Entrepreneurship Education, Dr Satya Ranjan Acharya holds expertise in training budding entrepreneurs as well as grooming developed entrepreneurs. His mentoring activities beyond institutions and classrooms are commendable. Through the "Hastakala Setu" project, he is mentoring over 20,000 traditional artisans of Gujarat in providing training, exposure to market linkages, and financial management across 33 districts of Gujarat. He continuously engages with his mentees to ensure desired outcome. He is known for teaching courses in New Enterprise Creation and Entrepreneurial Finance. He conducts and organizes various management development programs and faculty development programs on entrepreneurship teaching and startup incubation for the Govt of Gujarat and Ministry of Education.
Dr. Subbiah Brindha is a passionate teacher and Head of Computer Networking department, PSG Polytechnic College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. She has been teaching diploma students for more than 20 years and majority of them consider her as their role-model. More importantly, Dr. Brinda encourages young girls in large numbers to pursue a career in the computer networking field which is still a male dominated sector. Being highly qualified, she received multiple lucrative job offers from degree institutions but rejected all and chose to continue with polytechnic college as she believes that a large number of students from socio-economically backward backgrounds join polytechnic courses and create an impact that is critical for overall upliftment of society. Dr. Brinda had developed multiple industry connections for her institution which has enabled a large number of students to get internships and employment. She also helped establish an industry sponsored IoT laboratory in her institution and under her leadership a new Diploma Programme on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has started. She was also instrumental in obtaining NBA Accreditation for the department of Computer Engineering two times in 2011 and 2021 which is commendable achievement for a diploma institution.
