India observed National Teachers Day, also called Shikshak Divas, on 5 September 2026 with the theme Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery. The day marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s first Vice President and second President, and has been celebrated since 1962. Schools and colleges across the country honoured teachers, while President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Awards 2026 in New Delhi.
What Is Teachers Day and When Is It Observed?
National Teachers Day in India is observed every year on 5 September to honour teachers and their work in guiding students. In 2026, National Teachers Day fell on Saturday, 5 September, which marked the 138th birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
The day is known in Hindi as Shikshak Divas, which means Teachers Day. The National Teachers Day in India is a national observance to thank teachers, not a festival linked to religion or harvest. It is celebrated in schools, colleges and training institutes in every state and Union Territory.
The National Teachers Day of India must not be confused with World Teachers Day, which the world observes on 5 October every year. The Indian observance began in 1962, while the global observance began in 1994.
Why Is Teachers Day Celebrated on 5 September?
National Teachers Day is celebrated on 5 September because it is the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on 5 September 1888 in Tiruttani, which is now in Tamil Nadu. National Teachers Day honours his life as a teacher, philosopher and President, and through him honours all teachers in India.
The story behind the date goes back to 1962. In that year, Dr Radhakrishnan took office as the second President of India. Some of his students and friends asked for permission to celebrate his birthday in a public way. Dr Radhakrishnan replied that it would be his privilege if 5 September was observed as Teachers Day instead of his personal birthday. His suggestion turned a personal celebration into a national tribute to the teaching profession.
Since that first observance in 1962, every 5 September has carried the same message. The day reminds the country that teachers shape character, build knowledge and prepare responsible citizens. The year 2026 marked 64 years of this tradition.
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: The Teacher Behind the Day
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September 1888 in Tiruttani, in what was then Madras Presidency. He studied philosophy at Madras Christian College, where he completed his masters degree in 1907. He began teaching in 1909 and soon earned a name as a clear thinker and popular teacher.
Dr Radhakrishnan taught at the University of Mysore and the University of Calcutta. He served as Vice Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936 and of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) from 1939 to 1948. In 1936, the University of Oxford in England appointed him as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics, a post he held till 1952. Through his books, including his two volume work on Indian Philosophy, he introduced India’s Vedanta and classical thought to readers around the world.
After Independence, Dr Radhakrishnan led the Indian delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1946 to 1952 and chaired its executive board in 1948 and 1949. He served as India’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1949 to 1952. The country then elected him as the first Vice President of India, an office he held from 1952 to 1962. He became the second President of India and served from 13 May 1962 to 13 May 1967.
The Government of India honoured Dr Radhakrishnan with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1954. He often said that teachers should be the best minds in the country. He died on 17 April 1975 in Chennai at the age of 86.
Theme for 2026: Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery
The theme for National Teachers Day 2026 in India was Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery. The theme places teachers at the centre of efforts to rebuild learning after the gaps caused by school closures, unequal access to digital classes and learning loss.
The idea of recovery has three clear parts. The first is bringing every child back to regular learning, with special attention to first generation learners and children from poor and remote homes. The second is rebuilding basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, which form the base for all higher study. The third is supporting the mental health and confidence of both students and teachers through caring classrooms and personal guidance.
The theme also links to the wider national push for quality education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which gives a central role to trained and respected teachers. It calls on schools to use simple technology in smart ways, to share good teaching methods and to give teachers regular training and respect. In short, the 2026 theme says that no reform in syllabus, building or device can succeed unless the teacher succeeds.
How Is Teachers Day Celebrated in India?
National Teachers Day is celebrated inside schools and colleges, not away from them. The morning assembly often opens with a prayer or lamp lighting, followed by speeches by students on the importance of teachers. Cultural programmes, including songs, dances and short plays, form the heart of the function. In many schools, senior students take classes for junior students for part of the day, while teachers sit in the audience and watch.
Students also thank teachers with handmade cards, flowers and small tokens of respect. Teachers who have served with care are often felicitated on stage. On the eve of the day in 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the winners of the National Teachers Awards at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi and asked teachers to look beyond textbooks. He urged them to understand the daily lives of children, to spot the talent in each child and to reduce excess screen time through sports, play and creative work.
Is Teachers Day a Public Holiday?
National Teachers Day is not a public holiday in India. National Teachers Day is a working day when schools and offices remain open, because the celebration takes place in the school itself. The day is also not a national festival declared under the law on public holidays. Students attend school in the morning and take part in the events organised for their teachers.
National Teachers Awards 2026
The National Teachers Awards are the highest honour for school teachers in India. The Ministry of Education operates the scheme, and the President of India presents the awards every year on 5 September. The awards were first instituted in 1958, four years before Teachers Day itself began.
For 2026, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 5 September. The group included 26 male teachers and 22 female teachers from 27 states, 7 Union Territories and 6 central organisations. The central organisations included the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Sainik Schools.
The teachers were chosen for work in areas such as new teaching methods, use of technology, education of tribal and disadvantaged children, and learning through art, play and skill training. Self nominations were invited online through the National Awards portal from 15 June to 20 July 2026. A three stage process of district, state and national juries then prepared the final list. Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of winners in 2026 with three teachers.
In her address, President Murmu asked teachers to update their skills, to use digital tools with care and to build curiosity and independent thinking in students instead of rote learning. Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said that 82 teachers from school education, higher education and skill development had been selected for the wider 2026 honours, and praised inclusive education through sports, arts and skills.
National Teachers Day and World Teachers Day: How They Differ
World Teachers Day is held every year on 5 October around the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) jointly lead the global observance. World Teachers Day marks the adoption of the 1966 ILO and UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which set standards for teacher rights, training, recruitment and working conditions. The world has observed this day since 1994.
The 2026 global observance marked 60 years of the 1966 Recommendation with the theme Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures. The focus was on teacher shortage, fair pay, workload, digital change and voice in policy. The Global Report on Teachers has warned that the world needs 44 million more teachers to provide primary and secondary education to all by 2030.
| Feature | National Teachers Day in India | World Teachers Day |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 5 September | 5 October |
| Area covered | India | All countries |
| Linked to | Birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 1966 UNESCO and ILO Recommendation on teachers |
| Observed since | 1962 | 1994 |
| Main focus | Thanking teachers and honouring their role in nation building | Teacher rights, status, training and working conditions |
| 2026 theme | Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery | Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures |
Key Takeaways
- National Teachers Day in India is observed every year on 5 September, and in 2026 it fell on a Saturday.
- The 2026 theme was Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery, focused on rebuilding basic learning and bringing every child back to school.
- The day marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born on 5 September 1888, and has been observed since 1962.
- Dr Radhakrishnan served as India’s first Vice President from 1952 to 1962 and as second President from 1962 to 1967, and received the Bharat Ratna in 1954.
- President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Awards 2026 on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
- World Teachers Day is observed globally on 5 October since 1994 to mark the 1966 UNESCO and ILO Recommendation on teachers.
