Indian Institute of Technology Madras Honours Six Teachers for Promoting Scientific Temper Among Students

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) has recognised six outstanding school teachers by giving them the First Principles Teachers Award 2026. The awards aptly highlight the role these teachers have played in enhancing students' conceptual understanding of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. This year marks the second time the awards have been given out and IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti handed them over at the institute's campus. This year, the awards aim to recognise teachers who emphasise teaching the deep understanding of LOE (learning of elements) which is a key to developing analytical thinking and scientific attitude among pre-university students.

Awardees Across India Recognised

The six educators honoured this year include Sanjay Kumar (Physics, Pune), Asheshanand Acharya (Physics, Bengaluru), Kapil Birthare (Chemistry, Indore), C Chitti Babu (Chemistry, Tirupati), Samudrala Vijaya Kumar (Mathematics, Tirupati), and Nishant Sharma (Mathematics, Kota). These teachers have been acknowledged for their consistent efforts in helping students grasp core concepts rather than relying on rote learning.

Strengthening Foundations in STEM Education

According to IIT-Madras, the award recognises educators who instil a deep understanding of fundamental concepts in STEM subjects. This approach aligns with modern educational priorities that emphasise critical thinking, problem-solving, and long-term learning outcomes.

Speaking at the event, V Kamakoti highlighted the crucial role of school teachers in shaping students’ academic journeys. He noted that teachers who encourage curiosity and conceptual clarity help students develop the right mindset for higher education and research.

Aligning with Vision of NEP 2020

This step is a way to support the main aspirations of National Education Policy 2020 which is to make students understand the concepts in depth and through the experience rather than just hearing or reading the theory. Introducing such teachers, IIT-Madras wants to give a call of awakening to the teachers all over the country to get ready for masterminding teaching methods. Besides this, Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Courses) at IIT-Madras, pointed out that pupils who are very firm in their elementary knowledge not only tend to be the best performers in IITs but also work out better in their life careers.

Boosting a Scientific Thinking

Culture IIT-Madras with projects such as Award for Teachers who Go by First Principles is a way of stressing over and over the significance of changing the education from the roots. By the honoration of those teachers who put understanding as a top priority rather than memorization, the institute is in a way creating an environment for having young minds that are naturally inclined to do scientific experiments and analysis.