Indian Teacher Rouble Nagi Wins Global Teacher Prize 2026On February 5, 2026, Rouble Nagi, an Indian teacher and social activist, won the Global Teacher Prize 2026, which is described as the “Nobel Prize for Teaching”, at the World Government Summit held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About the Global Teacher Prize:
Overview: An annual international award honouring an exceptional teacher for outstanding contributions to education and society.
Background: The award was instituted in 2014 by Global Education Management Systems (GEMS) Education and the Varkey Foundation, in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Cash Prize: The award includes a cash prize of USD 1 million, awarded to one winner every year.
About Rouble Nagi:
Profile: Rouble Nagi, an Indian teacher, artist, and social reformer from Mumbai (Maharashtra), is widely known for integrating art with education to drive social change. She transitioned from conventional teaching to grassroots social intervention.

• She worked directly in villages and urban slums, focusing on children who had never attended school or were at risk of dropping about.

Founder: She founded the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF) to institutionalise her work, designing education programmes, mobilising communities, and training volunteers.

• Through RNAF, she established 800+ learning centres across India and created educational murals in public spaces to teach literacy, maths, science, and history.

About Global Education Management Systems (GEMS) Education:
Chairman – Sunny Varkey
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Established – 1959