Ranjitsinh Disale, a teacher from Zilla Parishad Primary School, Paritewadi, Solapur district in Maharashtra, India won US $1 million annual Global Teacher Prize 2020.

The Prize was founded by Varkey Foundation and organised in partnership with UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

•  Stephen Fry, English comedian, actor, writer and presenter made the announcement of the winner at a virtual ceremony broadcast from the Natural History Museum in London. This is the 1st time the announcement was made virtually.

Reason for his Award

He won this award as he transformed the life of young girls at the Zilla Parishad Primary School and has ignited the Quick-Response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India.

Points to be Noted

i.Ranjitsinh Disale announced that he will share half the prize money with his fellow Top 10 finalists, where each will receive over US$55,000.

ii.This is the 1st time that the winner of the Global Teacher Prize has shared the prize money with other finalists.

US$45,000 COVID Hero Award

In the ceremony, US$45,000 COVID Hero Award, supported by CVC Capital Partner was given to UK(United Kingdom)Maths teacher Jamie Frost, whose free DrFrostMaths helped students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Prize Category Announced-Global Student Prize

1. The Varkey Foundation launched a new Chegg.org Global Student Prize, a US$50,000 sister prize to the Global Teacher Prize.
2. This prize will create a platform to highlight the efforts of extraordinary students around the world that makes a real impact on learning, on the lives of their peers and beyond society.

About Global Teacher Prize:

• The Global Teacher Prize was founded in 2014 by the Varkey Foundation.

• It is presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.