Rajesh Bordoloi, a geography teacher at Adarsha Tribal Higher Secondary School, Kalbari, Jorhat, has received the National Teachers’ Award 2026 for his innovative “Each One Teach One” initiative, which turns school students into teachers for their mothers. He was among 48 school teachers honoured nationally in 2026.

What is the ‘Each One Teach One’ Initiative?

• Under the initiative, Class 10 students teach their mothers basic reading, smartphone use, digital payments, online banking and other essential digital services at home.
• The programme was started around two years ago after Bordoloi observed a gap between digitally familiar children and mothers with limited or no formal schooling.
• A large proportion of participating students come from the Mising tribal community, making the initiative particularly relevant to rural and tribal educational inclusion.
• The initiative has expanded beyond Kalbari to villages including Banhphala, Bhekelichapori, Dhankhuli, Laliti Chapori Gaon and Sarigharia, demonstrating how a school-based intervention can develop into a community movement.

Objectives and Outcomes

• The initiative promotes intergenerational learning, where children become agents of education within their own households.
• It strengthens adult literacy, digital literacy and financial inclusion by helping mothers use smartphones and digital payment systems.
• It also creates a visible connection between school education and household welfare, encouraging parents to recognise the practical value of educating their children.
• Bordoloi’s wider community work also includes campaigns against child marriage, particularly in villages where girls have faced educational disruption.

Institutional & Policy Linkages

The National Teachers’ Award operates under the Ministry of Education and was instituted in 1958 to recognise teachers who enrich students’ learning and improve school education. The award is presented by the President of India on Teachers’ Day.

The initiative reflects the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020, particularly inclusive education, experiential learning, community participation and use of technology in education. It also complements the broader objective of adult literacy and lifelong learning under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.

Why is it Important?

The initiative demonstrates that educational transformation does not always require sophisticated infrastructure. A student, a family and a supportive school can together become an instrument of social change.

Exam Hook – Prelims

Consider the following statements:

1. The National Teachers’ Award is administered under the Ministry of Education.
2. The award was instituted in 1958.
3. Rajesh Bordoloi received the 2026 award for the “Each One Teach One” initiative in Assam.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: 1, 2 and 3.

One-line wrap: Rajesh Bordoloi’s initiative shows how education can move beyond the classroom to advance literacy, digital inclusion and social empowerment within rural and tribal communities.