Dr. OMPRAKASH MISHRA

For over 25 years, I have served as a teacher in Koraput, one of India’s most remote and aspirational tribal districts, where access to quality science education has long been shaped by geography, language, and limited infrastructure. My journey, recognised through the National Award to Teachers (2017), National ICT Award (2018), State Award (2016), and 20+ other honours, is driven by one belief: that no child’s postal address should determine the quality of their education.
My educational qualifications include M.Sc, M.Ed, M.Phil, Ph.D. (Scholar), an Honorary Doctorate, UGC-NET, PGDSLM (IGNOU), PSLM (NIEPA), and a course on Relativity and Physics (IIT Kanpur), besides 10+ online courses from foreign universities and a course on Science Journalism.
My pedagogy is rooted in constructivism. My M.Phil and Ph.D. research, on tribal students’ learning gaps and constructivist versus traditional science teaching, shaped a classroom practice that moves from rote learning toward experiential, inquiry-based methods, using GeoGebra, Scratch programming, and a published mobile word game to make abstract concepts tangible for first-generation learners. Also I have developed simulation Apps on science using AI and 50 other digital tools. I also have a YouTube Channel, Blog and self designed Website.
Believing one teacher cannot bridge these gaps alone, I contributed to the state government’s textbook ‘Koushali’ (digital education textbook for classes VI to X) and authored bridge-course materials, INITIATIVE, TRANSIT, KINETICS (a module for NMMS aspirants), and EXPERIMENTO (a hands-on science practical textbook using local resources), for slow and average learners of Koraput’s tribal belt, helping raise HSC results district-wide. I also developed e-content for DIKSHA and the state’s UTKARSHA remedial programme, so students without regular classroom access could keep learning through blogs, YouTube videos, and locally built apps. Further, I mobilised the community to generate funds for improving my school’s infrastructure, and established an ATL and a Digital Lab. I also serve as a Governing Body member of the District Science Centre, Koraput, and have participated in the NTSC (Ahmedabad), the NCSC, and IISF Kolkata. I am a life member of ISCA and VIBHA India.
Beyond, I have trained hundreds of teachers as State/District Resource Person in Science under UTKARSHA and SAMARTHYA, and mentoring B.Ed faculty on digital content at RIE Bhubaneswar. I have carried education beyond school walls through “Education at the Doorstep” sessions for tribal students during holidays.
As researcher my impact is validated nationally: presentations at NCERT, IIT Mumbai, and NERIE Shillong; recognition from the President of India and the Prime Minister; and engagement with global frameworks, from WHO Geneva’s COVID-19 modules to the US Institute of Peace’s conflict-analysis course, adapted to make Koraput’s classrooms responsive to both local and global realities.