INSPIRING MINDS - Chandralekha Patil Mestri's Journey Towards the National Teachers Award

A teacher in India is commonly referred to as a 'guru,' a figure who imparts immense wisdom and serves as a vital guide, helping students acquire competence, virtue, and proficiency.

- Seeja Prabhu

Chandralekha Patil Mestri exemplifies this definition. She has engraved her name in the nation's history by being awarded the prestigious National Teachers Award in 2024. Drawing inspiration from being a second-generation teacher, Chandralekha idolizes her father, Mr. Laxman Patil, a retired teacher. According to her, it was her father's constant devotion and unique approach to teaching that led her to pursue this profession.

"To be a teacher was my only aim. I had seen my father working with dedication. I used to admire how differently he worked as a teacher to bring out the best in his students. He would even bring his students home to prepare them for various activities," she says.

As a child, Chandralekha Patil Mestri was introduced to biodiversity and activities related to plant identification during visits to her paternal and maternal grandmothers' homes in Kolhapur and Cancona Agonda, respectively. Her regular visits during school vacations fostered her passion for Biology, which later became her favorite subject to learn and eventually teach. "My maternal grandmother would teach me about the medicinal uses of plants and involve me in agriculture. This love for plants and the environment attracted me to Biology as a career," Chandralekha explains, describing her journey toward choosing a career that she deeply values and is passionate about.

Chandralekha expresses great satisfaction in choosing education as her profession.