A heartfelt tribute to India’s unsung heroes - Deepajyoti Awards | Deepika School | Sharada Peetham

A heartfelt tribute to India’s unsung heroes - Deepajyoti Awards 2026 With the blessings of the Ubhaya Jagadgurus, the Deepajyoti Awards 2026 concluded in Bengaluru on the 8th of February, with a deeply inspiring finale, celebrating the unseen, tireless, and noblest contributors in our society - Special Educators from across India. The concept of the Deepajyoti Awards 2026 was conceived and guided by Ms. Sita Krishnamurthy, Founder and Correspondent of Deepika School for Special Needs, Bengaluru. Strengthened by the sustained encouragement and broad guidance of Sri P. A. Murali, CEO & Administrator of the Sharada Peetham, and steered meticulously by an expert committee, the initiative reached more than 800 special schools across the country. https://deepikaschool.org https://donate.sringeri.net Process of Deepajyoti awards - A meticulous multi-stage evaluation followed: 185 applications received nationwide 110 detailed questionnaires evaluated across multiple languages 60 shortlisted for teaching-session videos 15 finalists selected after online jury interviews The final round, held in Bengaluru on 7th February, was presided over by a distinguished jury panel comprising experts in psychology, autism interventions, human development, communication sciences, counselling, arts-based therapy, and special education - including Aarti C. Rajaratnam, Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Dr. Venkatalakshmi, Jyothsna Prashanth, Usha Madan, and Dr. Meena Ganapathy. On 8th February - The finale - award ceremony event commenced with Vedic chanting and a sitar recital by Dr. Prithvi Balepur, setting a devotional and cultured ambience. The dignitaries conferred the awards on the winners from both categories. First Prize: ₹1,00,000 + laptop Second Prize: ₹50,000 + mobile phone Third Prize: ₹25,000 + smartwatch All finalists: ₹5,000 + smartwatch Award Winners Teachers who work with children on the Autism Spectrum: 1st prize Oindrilla Bhattacharya, Bangalore 2nd prize Tejal Kothari (Mumbai) 3rd prize Prasana Sridhar (Chennai) Teachers who work with children in the area of Intellectual Disability 1st prize Sarala T R (Bangalore) 2nd prize Nilesh Panchal (Ahmedabad) 3rd prize Shamla P A (Aluva, Kerala) A deeply moving moment was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Smt. Uma Madan, a stalwart who has devoted decades to special education and emotional well-being. Teachers of Deepika School, who were not part of the national competition, showcased their creativity through a Teaching Resource Tools Exhibition, with enthusiastic participation from other Bengaluru schools as well. In his address, Sri P. A. Murali announced that a dedicated new space for Deepika School would soon be established within the Sri Shankara Math premises, reflecting the Peetham’s abiding commitment to service & compassion. Click here to watch the complete video: https://youtu.be/IkqExHADWeY #SpecialEducation #AutismAwareness #IntellectualDisability #InclusiveIndia #EducationForAll #TeachersOfIndia #InspiringEducators #NonprofitIndia #SocialImpact #Sringeri #Jagadgurus #SharadaPeetham #LokaKalyana #Jagadguru #Shankaracharya #Mahaswamiji #SringeriSharadaPeetham #SanatanaDharma #शंकराचार्य