CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar

What is the CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar?

CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar is the State Award to Teachers of the Government of Goa, administered by the Directorate of Education. According to the guidelines published on the Directorate of Education website, the purpose of the award is "to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the state and to honour those teachers who through their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students."

The State Government has declared 10 State Awards to Teachers. Each award consists of a cash amount of Rs 1,00,000 and a citation. The recipients are felicitated at the hands of the Chief Minister of Goa during the Teachers' Day function.

Category-wise distribution of the 10 awards

Out of the 10 awards, 1 award is reserved for a differently abled teacher, head of school or special educator from regular or special schools, who may apply under any of the five categories above.

Who is eligible and who is not eligible for the CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar?

You can apply if:

• You are a school teacher, special educator or head of school working in a recognised government or aided primary, middle, high or higher secondary school in Goa.
• You are an in-service teacher and fulfil the academic and professional qualifications prescribed for your cadre.
• You have completed at least 15 years of regular teaching service in the State of Goa as on 30 June of the academic year for which you are applying.
• You are a headmaster with 5 years of administrative experience within those 15 years of regular teaching service.
• You are a differently abled teacher, head of school or special educator with a disability certificate indicating more than 40% disability, and want to be considered against the reserved award.

You are not eligible if:

• You are due for retirement in the year to which the State Awards relate.
• You have indulged in tuitions.
• You are a contractual teacher, a para teacher, a part-time instructor or a National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) instructor.
• There is a vigilance or criminal case pending against you.
• You have been penalised by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE).
• An inquiry is being conducted against you.

The guidelines also state that if no sufficient, suitable and eligible teacher, head of institution or special educator is available in a particular category, it is not binding on the Government to grant the award for that category.

How to apply for the CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar

1. Take a printout of the prescribed proforma. Visit the Directorate of Education website at education.goa.gov.in and print the nomination form. Printed forms and the guidelines are also available at the offices of the respective Taluka Assistant District Education Inspectors (ADEIs) and at the Educational Zones.
2. Fill Part I, which is mandatory. It asks for name in block letters, academic and professional qualifications, phone or mobile number, designation, the school where you are presently working with address, permanent residential address, date of birth, present age, date of superannuation, a designation-wise table of total teaching experience, teaching experience in rural or remote areas, and your service record. Question 11 asks whether you are applying under the differently abled category.
3. Fill Part II only if you are a head of institution. It covers innovative ideas introduced to raise the quality of education, involvement of parents in academic development, maintenance and beautification of the school campus, organisation of annual day, sports day and clubs, guidance given to teachers for professional development, goals set in academics and sports with the achievements against them, and any school-level project undertaken in the last three years.
4. Affix and attest the photograph. A recent passport size photograph must be affixed, and a second copy duly attested by a Gazetted Officer on the reverse must be enclosed with the form.
5. Assemble the portfolio. Every applicant must submit a portfolio along with the entry form containing relevant supporting material: documents, tools, reports of activities, field visits, photographs, audios or videos.
6. Sign the undertaking. Each applicant must give an undertaking that all the information and data submitted is true to the best of their knowledge, and that if anything is later found untrue they will be liable to disciplinary action.
7. Get the recommendation in Part III. Teachers of GHS and GHSS are recommended by the head of the institution; GPS teachers by the ADEI of the respective taluka; headmasters and principals of GHS and GHSS by the DDE of the concerned zone; and all categories of teachers in aided schools, including principals and headmasters, by the Chairman of the Managing Committee.
8. Submit by hand to the Zonal Head. All applications are received by hand at the respective Zonal Heads, at the Educational Zones at Panaji, Mapusa and Margao. For the 2024-25 cycle, self-nominations were accepted from 24 June 2025 to 31 July 2025.

How are teachers evaluated and selected?

Evaluation runs on a 100-mark matrix set out at Annexure-I of the guidelines, split into two blocks.

Category A: objective criteria, 20 marks

• Work done to encourage community, parents and alumni to contribute to the school, whether through physical infrastructure, computers, mid-day meal, funds or books to 3 marks
• Publications in the last 5 years, being research papers or articles in international or national journals with ISSN, or books with ISBN to 3 marks
• Annual Performance Appraisal Reports or other appraisal tools of the last 3 years to 3 marks
• Regular school attendance without complaints to 3 marks
• Regular attendance at in-service training the teacher is deputed to to 2 marks
• Work done to increase enrolment and reduce dropouts — 2 marks
• Enrolment in any course under SWAYAM or another MOOC platform to 2 marks
• Development of e-contents, textbooks or teacher handbooks for SCERT, Boards or NCERT to 2 marks

Category B, performance criteria, 80 marks

• Innovative experiments such as use of ICT and joyful learning techniques, and development and use of appropriate pedagogic approaches including teaching learning material and low-cost teaching aids to 30 marks
• Organisation of extra and co-curricular activities to 25 marks
• Mobilisation of society for school infrastructure and social awareness among children, promotion of nation building and national integration, participation in Government of India programmes such as Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat and Kartavya Palan Abhiyan, and participation in road safety, anti-drug abuse and anti-tobacco campaigns to 25 marks

Two levels of scrutiny

First-level scrutiny is done by the District Selection Committee (DSC), chaired by the Deputy Director of Education, with the District Education Officer and one reputed academician nominated by Government as members. The DSC physically verifies the facts through verification teams, marks applicants on the Annexure-I format, certifies that marks were awarded after due verification, and shortlists three times the number of awards in each category, forwarding those names with a vigilance clearance certificate for each applicant.

The State Selection Committee (SSC) is chaired by the Director of Education, with the Director of SCERT, the Chairman of GBSHSE, the Principal of DIET and an academician nominated by the Minister for Education as members, and the Assistant Director of Education (Academic) as Member Secretary. The SSC carries out a fresh assessment of the district nominations, each nominee makes a presentation before the committee, and the committee selects up to 9 names plus 1 for the special category for differently abled teachers, heads of institutions and special educators.

What are the common reasons an application fails?

• Service short of 15 years as on 30 June of the relevant academic year, or a headmaster without 5 years of administrative experience within those 15 years.
• Retirement falling in the award year, which is an express disqualification.
• Employment type. Contractual teachers, para teachers, part-time instructors and NSQF instructors are excluded regardless of merit.
• A pending vigilance or criminal case, a GBSHSE penalty, or an ongoing inquiry.
• A thin portfolio. Eighty of the 100 marks depend on evidence of innovation, activities and social mobilisation. Claims without documents, photographs or reports score poorly.
• Missing recommendation in Part III from the correct authority for your category and school type.
• Late or posted applications. Submission is by hand to the Zonal Head within the announced window.

Where do I raise a grievance about the CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar?

Contact the Directorate of Education, Alto-Porvorim, Bardez, Goa 403521, by email at dir-educ.goa@nic.in, by telephone on 0832-2416023 or 0832-2416033, or by fax on 0832-2416136. Your Taluka Assistant District Education Inspector and the Deputy Director of Education of your zone are the first points of contact for questions about a specific nomination. The complete guidelines and the current year's proforma are published under Schemes and Scholarships on education.goa.gov.in.

How to check your application status

CM-Vashistha Guru Puraskar nominations are received by hand at the Zonal Heads in Panaji, Mapusa and Margao, and the Directorate of Education does not run an online tracking portal or reference number system for this award. Once you have submitted your proforma and portfolio, status checking works through direct follow-up rather than a website login.

• Confirm receipt at the Zonal Office. The Educational Zone office that received your papers (Panaji, Mapusa or Margao) can confirm your application was logged and forwarded, since there is no acknowledgement slip or SMS confirmation issued automatically.
• Ask your recommending authority. Since Part III of the form must be completed by the head of institution, the ADEI of your taluka, the DDE of your zone or the Chairman of the Managing Committee depending on your category, that authority typically knows whether your file has moved on to the District Selection Committee (DSC).
• Track the DSC stage through the District Education Officer. The DSC, chaired by the Deputy Director of Education, physically verifies facts and shortlists three times the number of awards per category. The District Education Officer's office can tell you whether verification visits have been scheduled or completed for your nomination.
• Track the SSC stage through the Directorate. After DSC shortlisting, files move to the State Selection Committee chaired by the Director of Education. Shortlisted nominees are typically asked to make a presentation before this committee, so being called for a presentation is itself a sign your nomination has advanced past the district level.
• Call or email the Directorate of Education for a direct update. Reach the Directorate at Alto-Porvorim, Bardez, Goa 403521, on 0832-2416023 or 0832-2416033, or by email at dir-educ.goa@nic.in, quoting your name, school and category.
• Watch for the public announcement. Final results are not communicated individually to every applicant; selected teachers are formally notified and felicitated by the Chief Minister at the Teachers' Day function, so the Directorate's Teachers' Day announcement is the definitive confirmation of the outcome for both selected and non-selected applicants.