Award Categories

Vidya Ratna Teachers Award 2025 recognizes educators across multiple categories, reflecting the diversity and impact of teaching across Kerala.

Vidya Ratna Teachers Award 2025 recognize educators across educational stages, subject domains, and transformative initiatives. The categories are structured to ensure inclusivity, fairness, and meaningful recognition across CBSE, ICSE, and Kerala State Board institutions.

1. Educational Segment Categories

Applicable Boards: CBSE, ICSE & Kerala State Board

Pre-Primary Education

This category honors educators who play a vital role in early childhood development by nurturing curiosity, foundational skills, emotional growth, and a love for learning during the formative years.
Applicable to:  Pre-Nursery, Nursery, KG, LKG & UKG

Primary Education

Recognizes teachers who build strong academic foundations, encourage curiosity, and support holistic development during the primary schooling phase.
Applicable to: Grade 01 to Grade 05

Secondary Education

This category acknowledges educators who guide students through critical academic years, fostering subject understanding, independent thinking, and personal growth.
Applicable to: Grade 06 to Grade 10

STEM Subjects

Honors teachers who inspire analytical thinking, innovation, and problem-solving through effective teaching of STEM subjects across eligible grades.
Applicable to:  Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics

Non-STEM Subjects

Recognizes educators who enrich students’ intellectual, cultural, creative, and leadership abilities through non-STEM disciplines.
Applicable to: Humanities, Arts, Literature, or Management-related subjects

2. Initiative-Based Categories

Applicable Boards: CBSE, ICSE & Kerala State Board

Student Wellbeing, Safety & Protection Champion

Recognizes a teacher who has led or implemented initiatives focused on student mental health, emotional wellbeing, counselling support, safety, and protection, including efforts to prevent bullying, abuse, neglect, or digital risks, and to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing learning environment.

Inclusive Education, Diversity & Equality Champion

Recognizes a teacher who has undertaken initiatives that promote inclusive education, support students with special needs and diverse learning abilities, and advance gender sensitivity, equity, and respectful behaviour, within classrooms or across the wider school ecosystem.

Sustainability & Environmental Champion

Recognizes a teacher who has undertaken initiatives that have effectively integrated environmental awareness, sustainability, and climate-related learning into classroom teaching, school initiatives, or community-linked projects.
Applicability Note:
Initiative-Based Categories are open to teachers across Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary, and Senior Secondary teaching segments, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.

3. Special Awards

Applicable Boards: CBSE, ICSE & Kerala State Board

Young Educator

Recognizes an early-career teacher with 1 to 5 years of teaching experience who has demonstrated effective classroom practice, professional commitment, and meaningful impact on students through thoughtful teaching, innovation, or initiative during the early years of their career.
Applicable Boards: CBSE, ICSE & Kerala State Board
Applicable to:  Teachers who have 1-5 years of teaching experience

Student-Nominated Award

This special category honors teachers nominated directly by students through a defined nomination process, recognizing educators who have made a profound personal and academic impact on learners.
Applicable to:  Teachers nominated by students through the defined nomination process.