Professor Sankar Prasad Rath of the Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Kanpur, has been selected as one of the recipients of the National Teachers Award 2026 for his contributions to teaching, research, and student mentorship.
Professor Rath has been associated with the Institute since 2004 and has been serving as a full Professor in the Department of Chemistry since 2014. He has authored more than 165 research articles in high-impact, peer-reviewed international journals and has supervised 27 PhD students, 40 master’s students, and 25 postdoctoral researchers.
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The recognition Professor Rath received is particularly meaningful because it celebrates the lasting impact a teacher can have on students beyond academic achievements.
While speaking to HT Digital, he reflects on his journey at IIT Kanpur, the role of mentorship and inclusive teaching, and how research can enrich classroom learning. He also discusses the skills chemistry students need in the age of AI and his vision for making science education more engaging, accessible and relevant to future generations along with National Teachers Award 2026 recognition. Read them here:
1. You have spent more than two decades at IIT Kanpur, balancing research, teaching, and student mentorship. Looking back, what have been the most rewarding moments of this journey, and what have your students taught you along the way?
Looking back, my deepest sense of fulfilment does not come from any single publication, discovery, award or position. It comes from the journey as a whole—the students I have taught and mentored, the challenging research questions that my group and I have pursued together, and the satisfaction of seeing many of my students grow into confident individuals and build successful careers of their own. I am particularly grateful that, throughout more than two decades at IIT Kanpur, I have remained deeply engaged in both teaching and research. I have always believed that excellence in research and commitment to teaching strengthen and enrich one another, and the National Award to Teachers has further reinforced that belief.
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My students have taught me that talent is widely distributed, but confidence and opportunity are not always equally available. Every student comes with a different background, strengths and aspirations, and therefore cannot be taught or mentored in exactly the same way. They have kept me intellectually young, active and vibrant. Their questions frequently compel me to revisit familiar concepts from entirely new perspectives. Through them, I have gradually realised that the best teachers must themselves remain curious, disciplined and lifelong learners.
2. You have received several prestigious honours, including the CRSI medals, C. N. R. Rao National Prize and SERB-STAR Award. How did you feel when you learnt that you had been selected for the National Teachers Award 2026? What does this recognition mean to you personally?
When I learnt that I had been selected for the National Award to Teachers, I felt deeply honoured, humbled and emotional. Research awards are immensely meaningful, but this recognition touched a different part of my life because it acknowledges the sustained, everyday relationship between a teacher and generations of students. As a teacher, it is perhaps the most personally satisfying recognition I have received—particularly because it is a national honour conferred by the Hon’ble President of India. I have always regarded teaching as both an art and a profound responsibility. Over the years, I have tried to make my classroom lively and engaging, presenting even complex concepts in a manner that stimulates curiosity and makes learning enjoyable. It is equally gratifying that my SWAYAM–NPTEL course on Bioinorganic Chemistry, introduced in August 2019, has been warmly received by the student community and re-run eight times, enabling me to reach learners far beyond the IIT Kanpur campus.
This award, however, is not mine alone. I share it with my teachers and mentors who shaped me, my colleagues and collaborators who encouraged and challenged me, IIT Kanpur, my family and, most importantly, the generations of students who placed their trust in me. When I look back, I do not see a solitary journey; I see a long chain of people who supported me, broadened my perspective and allowed me to grow as both a teacher and a scientist. In that sense, this recognition belongs to the larger academic community of which I have been fortunate to be a part. It also brings a renewed responsibility to continue improving as a teacher, mentor and lifelong learner.
3. You have been recognised earlier for your contributions to research and scientific excellence. How is the National Teachers Award different from those awards, particularly because it recognises your contribution as a teacher and mentor?
Research awards and the National Award to Teachers recognise two distinct but complementary dimensions of academic life. Research honours generally acknowledge originality, scientific discoveries and contributions to the advancement of knowledge. A teaching award recognises something less easily measured but equally profound—the influence a teacher has on the minds, confidence, values and lives of students. Research achievements become visible through discoveries and publications, whereas the impact of teaching and mentorship often unfolds quietly over many years. This makes the National Award to Teachers especially personal and humbling and more satisfying. Among all the recognitions I have received, it occupies a uniquely satisfying place, particularly because it is a national honour conferred by the Hon’ble President of India.
The award acknowledges much more than classroom teaching. It recognises mentorship, inclusiveness, patience and the responsibility of helping young people become confident, independent and ethical individuals. At the same time, I have never regarded teaching and research as separate pursuits. Research keeps my teaching intellectually alive and current, while students’ questions frequently encourage me to reconsider established ideas and sometimes inspire new scientific directions. This award brings together these two inseparable dimensions of my academic life and reaffirms my belief that excellence in research and commitment to teaching must always strengthen one another.
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4. You designed the undergraduate course “Inorganic Molecules, Materials & Medicine” and have also taught preparatory courses for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. What role do you believe a teacher should play beyond delivering a curriculum, especially in helping students discover their potential?
A teacher’s responsibility begins with the curriculum, but it certainly does not end there. Students enter the classroom with different educational, social and linguistic backgrounds. Some possess exceptional ability but may not have received the same exposure, encouragement or opportunities as others. My experience of teaching preparatory courses made me particularly conscious that unequal preparation must never be mistaken for unequal potential. A teacher must look beyond marks, recognise the invisible barriers faced by students and create an environment in which they can ask questions without fear. This does not mean lowering academic standards; it means providing every student with the guidance, confidence and support needed to reach those standards.
Teaching is both an art and a profound responsibility. What we teach is important, but how we teach it is equally important. I have always tried to make my classroom lively and engaging by connecting difficult concepts with meaningful questions, familiar experiences and real-world applications. I designed “Inorganic Molecules, Materials & Medicine” to demonstrate that inorganic chemistry is not merely a collection of equations—it explains the materials around us, the functioning of living systems and many aspects of modern medicine. Innovative teaching should make a subject intellectually attractive and awaken curiosity rather than simply transfer information. Beyond subject knowledge, teachers must nurture resilience, integrity, independent thinking and self-belief. The greatest success of a teacher is when students recognise their own potential and gain the confidence to pursue it.
5. With AI and new technologies rapidly changing the way students learn and conduct research, what skills do you think chemistry students and young researchers need to develop today to remain relevant and make meaningful contributions to science?
In the age of AI, a strong foundation in fundamental chemistry has become more important, not less. Students must learn to ask precise questions, examine evidence critically and distinguish a plausible answer from a scientifically valid one. AI can assist with literature exploration, data analysis, visualisation and computation, but it cannot replace conceptual understanding, experimental judgement, originality or integrity. Chemistry students must therefore combine sound theoretical knowledge with hands-on laboratory skills, careful observation, data literacy and an understanding of reproducibility and safety. They should also become comfortable working across traditional boundaries—connecting chemistry with biology, physics, materials science, medicine and computation. Equally important are communication, collaboration and the courage to challenge an apparently convincing result. Technology should expand our capacity to learn and discover, but every AI-generated prediction must ultimately be tested against chemical reasoning and reliable experimental evidence. The future will belong to researchers who can use powerful tools wisely without surrendering their independent judgement.
6. As you look ahead, what are the research, teaching and mentorship goals you would like to pursue in the coming years, and is there any new area of work or initiative you are particularly excited about?
In research, I would like to deepen our understanding of multiheme proteins and enzymes—some of Nature’s most sophisticated molecular machines, in which several metal centres work together to transfer electrons and perform vital biological reactions. By developing carefully designed synthetic models, we hope to uncover how these metal centres communicate over long distances and collectively control chemical reactivity. I am particularly excited about integrating this fundamental bioinorganic chemistry with Nature-inspired cooperative catalysis and functional molecular materials. Combining advanced spectroscopy, computation and carefully validated AI-assisted analysis may reveal new principles that could eventually contribute to more efficient catalysts, sustainable chemical processes and biomedical science.
In teaching, I want to continually renew my courses, bring contemporary research into the classroom and expand access to high-quality education through platforms such as SWAYAM–NPTEL. There is an urgent need to make chemistry more attractive and the classroom more welcoming, interactive and inclusive. Advanced technologies, effective visualisation and real-world applications should be used to complement rigorous conceptual teaching and stimulate curiosity. My aim is to create a classroom that students genuinely want to attend, rather than one they attend merely out of obligation.
My central mentorship goal will remain unchanged: to help young people become confident, independent, courageous and ethically responsible thinkers. I also wish to strengthen science outreach, particularly for students with limited opportunities. Ultimately, I would like my academic legacy to be measured not only by the scientific discoveries we make, but also by the generations of students who carry forward curiosity, integrity and a commitment to society.
