Gurnam Singh, a teacher at a government school in Kathua who received National Teachers' Award from President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi on September 5, said that for improving the infrastructure of his school he just utilized the funds provided by the government with honesty.
"I never worked with the expectations of getting an award someday, I did it for myself. I also tried to improve the infrastructure of schools I was posted at. We just utilised, with honesty, the funds that are provided by the government for schools," said Gurnam Singh while talking to on Sunday.
He said that being felicitated by the President was the best moment of his life.
"It was the best moment of my life and with that my responsibilities have also increased. I will work with thrice the energy," he added.
On the 61st year of the National Teachers' Award, the President felicitated around 46 teachers from across the country. Speaking at the occasion, Kovind said the foundation of character building is laid in schools.
"For students, teachers are like parents. Teachers should understand their fundamental responsibilities. In order to have a smart new generation, we have to teach them how to maintain a balance between knowledge and discretion," he had said.
The awards are given to honour those teachers who have not only contributed to improving the quality of education but also enriched the lives of their students. The prestigious award carries a silver medal and cash reward of Rs 50,000.
Teacher's Day is celebrated across the country in the memory of Radhakrishna, who was born on September 5,1888, given his exemplary contributions to the field of education. In 1962, the tradition to celebrate Teachers' Day was started in order to honour Radhakrishnan and all the teachers.
( With inputs from ANI )