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Indian school teacher wins $1-million Global Teacher Prize for promoting girls’ education
bY S VENKAT NARAYAN,
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI. A primary school teacher from India was on Thursday named the winner of the $1-million annual Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to promote girls’ education and trigger a quick-response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India.
Ranjitsinh Disale, 32, from Paritewadi village in Maharashtra state’s Solapur district, emerged the winner from 10 finalists from across the world for the annual prize founded by the Varkey Foundation in 2014 to recognise an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.
Disale, who believes that teachers are the world’s real change-makers, announced that he will be sharing 50% of his prize money with his fellow finalists to support their incredible work.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed education and the communities it serves in a multitude of ways. But in this hard time, teachers are giving their best to make sure every student has access to their birth right of a good education, said Disale.
“Teachers are the real change-makers who are changing the lives of their students with a mixture of chalk and challenges. They always believe in giving and sharing. And, therefore, I am very pleased to announce that I will share 50% of the prize money equally among my fellow top 10 finalists to support their incredible work. I believe, together, we can change this world because sharing is growing,” he said.
His generous gesture means the other nine finalists will receive just over $55,000 each as he made history as the first winner to share his prize money. By sharing the prize money, you teach the world the importance of giving, said Indian education philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the founder of the prize.
“I now encourage you to use this platform to give all teachers a voice. There is not a moment to lose as it will fall on young people to find solutions to problems that their parents and grandparents have lacked the will to solve, including climate change, conflict and global pandemics,” he said.
In another first, the Global Teacher Prize 2020 winner’s announcement was made at a virtual ceremony broadcast from the Natural History Museum in London by British actor-broadcaster Stephen Fry.
“Teachers like Ranjitsinh will stop climate change and build more peaceful and just societies. Teachers like Ranjitsinh will eliminate inequalities and drive forward economic growth. Teachers like Ranjitsinh will save our future,” said Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education at UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), a partner of the initiative.
When Disale arrived at the Zilla Parishad Primary School at Paritewadi in Solapur in 2009, it was a dilapidated building, sandwiched between a cattle-shed and a storeroom.
He took on the task of turning things around and ensuring the textbooks were available in the local language for the pupils and not only translated the class textbooks into his pupils’ mother tongue Marathi, but also embedded them with unique QR codes to give students access to audio poems, video lectures, stories and assignments.
The impact of his interventions has been that there are now no reported teenage marriages in the village and 100% attendance of girls at the school.
Disale’s school went on to become the first in the State of Maharashtra to introduce QR codes and after submitting a proposal and successful pilot scheme, the State Ministry announced in 2017 that they would introduce QR coded textbooks across the State for all grades.
In 2018, the Human Resources Development Ministry announced that all the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks would have embedded QR codes.
Disale is equally passionate about building peace between young people across conflict zones and through a “Let’s Cross the Borders” project, he connects young people from India and Pakistan, Palestine and Israel, Iraq and Iran, and the United States and North Korea.
Over a six-week programme, students are matched with a peace buddy from other countries with whom they closely interact. So far, Disale has initiated an incredible 19,000 students from eight countries into this programme.
Besides, with the use of the Microsoft Educator Community platform, the enterprising teacher spends his weekends taking students from schools around the world with depleted resources on virtual field trips. He is well-known for demonstrating scientific experiments from the science lab he has built in his home.
Disale was selected in the final 10 from over 12,000 nominations and applications from over 140 countries, alongside Olasunkanmi Opeifa from Nigeria, Jamie Frost from the UK, Carlo Mazzone from Italy, Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba from South Africa, Leah Juelke from the US, Yun Jeong-hyun from South Korea, Samuel Isaiah from Malaysia, Doani Emanuela Bertan from Brazil and one from Vietnam.
The Global Teacher Prize is paid out in equal instalments over 10 years, with the Varkey Foundation providing winners with financial counselling and support through an ambassadorial role for the profession.
Latest News
Maintaining public trust is a fundamental responsibility of the Police Department – President
Attending the passing out parade of the 82nd batch of the Special Task Force (STF) at the Katukurunda STF Training Camp in Kalutara on Monday (07), President Anura Kumara Disanayake emphasized the need for a progressive transformation within the Sri Lanka Police to ensure the rule of law, order and authority.
The President noted that the public places its trust in the Sri Lanka Police to uphold the supremacy of the law and maintaining that trust is a fundamental responsibility of the Police Department.
Addressing the newly commissioned officers, President Disanayake stated that how one serves and respects their profession is reflected in their career and urged the officers to embrace their professional duty in a way that contributes meaningfully to the transformative change the country requires.
Highlighting the current state of institutional breakdown in many sectors, the President pointed out that the people have already initiated change by altering the political authority, but reiterated that political transformation alone is insufficient. Instead, a comprehensive and positive transformation across all sectors is necessary for national progress.
The President further emphasized that new police officers carry the responsibility of meeting public expectations. He called on them to ensure public safety and security and to prevent the nation from falling prey to organized crime and drug-related issues.
He also stated that the younger generation must take responsibility for the motherland, bearing that duty on their shoulders and should strive to steer both their personal future and the future of the country in a positive direction.
President Disanayake concluded by saying that joining the regular service of the Sri Lanka Police today should be remembered by all as a significant and powerful step forward.
The President further noted that the service rendered by the Special Task Force (STF) on behalf of the public during times of emergency and disaster is highly commendable.
A total of 118 newly recruited Sub-Inspectors and 231 Probationary Police Constables who successfully completed their basic training graduated during the ceremony.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake awarded certificates and honours to officers who demonstrated exceptional performance during the training programme.
A commemorative token was also presented to President Disanayake, who attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest.
An operational demonstration by STF officers on a simulated battlefield was presented as part of the event.
Established in 1983 under the theme “Victory is Certain”, the Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force is currently recognized as a prestigious unit deployed for VIP protection, crime and organized crime suppression and narcotics control efforts aimed at building a drug-free nation.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, STF Commanding Officer Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Samantha de Silva, along with other senior police officers, the parents of graduating officers and other invitees.
[PMD]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the following notification / order / rule published in the government gazette notification to the Parliament for its concurrence:
• Notification on the revision of tax limit of luxury on motor vehicles under the Finance Act No. 35 of 2018 published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 41 dated 31.01.2025.
• Rule issued under the Production Levy (Special Provisions) Act No. 13 of 1989 on revision of production levy rate for vehicles operated with electricity published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 42 dated 31.01.2025
• Order issued under the Finance Act No. 25 of 2003 on extension of the period on which the 50% relief is active which is given to the deviation levy published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 30 dated 31.01.2025
Although there are legal provisions for the right to publish, technical planning, right of patent, trademarks and enterprises etc, in the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003, there are no provisions for securing the rights of plant species (relevant to breeders, researchers and farmers).
In addition, no patents can be issued for flora and fauna according to the provisions of the intellectual rights act. Therefore, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 22.05.2024 to introduce a new act for securing the rights of plant species.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has pointed out that policy approval of the new Cabinet of Ministers should be taken to complete the drafting of the new flora species rights securing act.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposals submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation for the preparation of the said draft bill.
Maintaining public trust is a fundamental responsibility of the Police Department – President
Submission of gazette notifications for the concurrence of the Parliament.
Cabinet approval to prepare new Act for securing the rights of plant species
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