Nagpur: City’s Pranoti Bagde is the lone teacher from Nagpur to receive the prestigious ‘Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Rajya Shikshak Gaurav Puraskar‘, awarded for excellence and contribution in education. Bagde, a teacher at Shri Mohanlal Rughwani Sindhi Hindi High School and Junior College, was selected for her innovative teaching methods, focus on the all-round development of students, and active participation in community initiatives benefiting children.

“This award recognises the sum of my efforts, not a single initiative. I’ve worked to improve educational quality through both academics and co-curricular activities, and I use short science reels on Instagram to make concepts relatable for younger students,” Bagde told TOI.

She also devotes considerable time to teaching children with disabilities. “I participate in organising special medical camps for these students, and addressing their unique health and learning needs is among the most fulfilling parts of my work,” she added.

She has partnered with the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society to run awareness drives and yoga sessions for students. “I have also held school-based medical camps that provide free consultations and medicines for underprivileged children,” said Bagde.

For Sindhi Hindi as an institution, this is the second honour in five years. The school’s principal, Leena Dakhane, said, “This is the second time in five years that teachers from our school have been selected for the award. Our school encourages teachers to go the extra mile in serving students and impacting lives. We have created an environment where teachers proactively work to improve every aspect of education.”

The institution is part of Sindhi Hindi Vidya Samiti (SHVS), which manages 25 schools and a college. SHVS president Dr IP Keswani, chairman Dr Vinky Rughwani, vice-president Vinod Masand, general secretary Neeraj Bakhru, and treasurer Mohan Jotwani congratulated Bagde, saying the recognition reflects the organisation’s emphasis on academics, co-curricular exposure, and community engagement.