Teachers are the strength behind the dream of a magnificent India, observed District-in-Charge Minister B Nagaraj Shetty.

He was speaking after felicitating the award winning teachers of the district at the Teacher’s Day celebration organised by the Zilla Panchayat, Public Instructions Department, DK District-level Teacher’s Day Celebration Committee and Mangalore City Region Teacher’s Day Celebration Committee at Town Hall in the City on Wednesday.

He said teachers have a great role in preserving culture and imbibing the same among the children, particularly in the wake of trends like globalisation.

 “The world is changing in an unimaginable speed. Correspondingly, the role of the teachers is also changing in its own way. They have the responsibility of moulding the future generation in a ‘cultured’ manner,” the minister maintained.

Mr Shetty said if the dream of visionaries like Mahatma Gandhiji and A P J Abdul Kalam should realise, it is the teachers who should take a special interest in building the base for the same. He emphasised on the significance of committed, selfless and honest service of the teachers to the human civilisation.

Teachers honoured

Including a State award winning teacher, a total of 14 teachers from across the district were felicitated on the occasion. Mr Vasudev Nadka of DK ZP Higher Primary School, Enmuru in Sullia was honoured for securing the State Best Teacher Award for the year 2006-07.

Among the other 13 district award winners (2007-08), 8 were from primary schools and 5 were from high schools. Teacher and writer Aravinda Chokkadi spoke on the role of teachers in the changing educational scenario. DK ZP President Sushma Janardhan, MLA U T Khader, ZP CEO A M Kunjappa, District Sahitya Parishat President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, Deputy Director of Public Instructions Chame Gowda  were present.