Home / Education / Bastar's Culture Ignites Geography Award Win
Bastar's Culture Ignites Geography Award Win
21 Sep
Summary
- Vinayak Kohli won India's Best Teachers' Awards 2026 in Geography.
- His teaching model uses Bastar's environment and culture.
- Kohli integrated a social science lab and art museum into lessons.
Vinayak Kohli, a social science teacher at PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya Kondagaon in Chhattisgarh, has been recognized with the India's Best Teachers' Awards 2026. He achieved this national honor in the Geography category, selected from over 9,400 registrations across India. The awards were a joint initiative by the Shiv Nadar Foundation and the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School.
Kohli's unique teaching methodology integrates Bastar's natural environment, local resources, traditional arts, and community life into geography and social science lessons. He established a social science laboratory and a mini Bastar art museum within the school. These spaces allow students to explore regional features, connect with local heritage, and engage with material culture through hands-on activities.
The award recognized Kohli's success in making learning experiential. Students engage with soil samples, build maps, participate in mock parliaments, and even use student-built EVM-style booths for elections. The initiative aligns with NEP 2020 principles, fostering competency-based education. His achievement has inspired district officials to promote similar experimental learning methods in schools across Kondagaon.
