3 Indian shortlisted for $1 million Global Teacher Prize

Three educators from India making an impact with their visionary and innovative teaching initiatives were named in the top 50 shortlist for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2026 on Monday. Sudhanshu Shekhar Panda, a schoolteacher from Meerut; Mehraj Khourshid Malik, a teacher from Jammu and Kashmir; and Rouble Nagi, working on education in slums and rural communities across India, are in the running for the annual prize.

The GEMS Education worldwide contest by UK-based Varkey Foundation, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), received over 5,000 nominations from 139 countries for its 10th edition.

“The Global Teacher Prize was created with a simple mission: to shine a light on teachers like you – educators whose dedication, creativity, and compassion deserve to be celebrated and shared with the world," Sunny Varkey, the Indian-origin founder of the Global Teacher Prize, said of the Indian nominees.

“Teachers shape minds, spark confidence, and open the doors through which young people create brighter futures for themselves and others. Your work extends far beyond the classroom – it touches lives and shapes the world,” he said. Panda, an Economics and Geography teacher at K L International School in Meerut, has been shortlisted for his work with students from diverse backgrounds.