Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said efforts were being made to recognise bright teachers practising innovative methods as he took an apparent swipe at past governments, saying he would not talk about what used to happen earlier.

In an interaction with teachers who were conferred National Teachers' Awards, he said they could prepare young students for 'Viksit Bharat'.

The interaction took place on Friday while its video was shared on Saturday.

Modi suggested that the teachers could involve the students in selecting the top 100 tourist destinations in the country by encouraging them to learn about different places they might visit as part of education tours.

The teachers awarded were selected after a long process as their efforts can be useful in the new National Education Policy (NEP), Modi said while noting that there would be many others doing excellent work.

He told the teachers to take their students to nearby universities and watch sporting events as the experience could fire up their dreams.

As many as 82 teachers from around the country were selected for the award. They included 50 teachers by the Department of School Education & Literacy, 16 by the Department of Higher Education and 16 by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, an official statement said.

Modi suggested that the awardee teachers connect with each other on social media and share their best practices so that everyone could learn, adapt and benefit.

He highlighted the impact of the NEP and spoke about the significance of attaining education in the mother tongue.

The prime minister suggested that the teachers teach local folklore to their students in different languages so that they learn multiple languages and also get exposure to India's vibrant culture.