National Teachers Awards: Drones, robots and AI earn Mysuru teacher who built tech lounge in govt school

President Murmu honoured Madhusudan KS with the National Teachers Award 2025 for transforming a government school into a hands-on innovation hub where students experiment with robotics, drones, 3D printing and AI tools.

New Delhi: A government school teacher from Mysuru who created a cutting-edge ‘C-Lounge’—a makerspace equipped with robotics kits, AI tools, a 3D printer and drones—was among four educators from Karnataka honoured with the National Teachers Awards 2025 by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.

In all, 81 teachers from across India received the awards. Of them, 45 were recognised by the Department of School Education & Literacy, 21 by the Department of Higher Education, and 15 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

The awardees from Karnataka included Madhusudan KS, teacher at Government Higher Primary School in Hinkal, Mysuru; Dr. Shreedevi Devindrappa Kalyan, mathematics faculty at Sharnbasva University, Kalaburagi; and Srivardhini K Jha, professor of entrepreneurship at IIM Bangalore.

Madhusudan set up the C-Lounge in 2023 to give students a hands-on learning space beyond textbooks. The facility allows children to experiment with robotics, drones, and AI while working on real-world projects like grey water purification systems.

“The idea was born out of my vision to create a space where innovation meets curiosity. I noticed children understood concepts better when they experimented and created on their own,” he said. “C-Lounge integrates STEM education and ensures that every child, regardless of background, can bring their ideas to life.”

Other awardees included Delhi teacher Awadesh Kumar Jha, who started ‘Dil Ki Baat,’ a safe space for students to share problems, and a Zero Waste Citizen Bank for depositing dry waste; Bhavniben Diseshbhai Desai from Daman, who uses smart TVs and low-cost teaching aids from waste; and Professor S. Siva Sathya from Pondicherry University, recognised for the ‘Mitra’ women’s safety app.