Rouble Nagi receiving prize at World Governments Summit in Dubai. Photo: Instagram/Rouble Nagi
Who is Rouble Nagi? Indian educator wins USD 1 million Global Teacher Prize
From Mumbai’s informal settlements to the global stage in Dubai, an Indian educator’s art-led learning revolution earns worldwide acclaim
Even as India reels from the global embarrassment surrounding the Galgotias University controversy at the AI Summit, a powerful counter-narrative has emerged on the world stage.
Indian educator Rouble Nagi has been awarded the prestigious 2026 GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize worth USD 1 million, one of the highest honours in education, recognising her contribution to the education of underprivileged children.
Also Read: Galgotias University forced to exit AI Summit after robot dog row over misrepresentation
She received the trophy from Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize and GEMS Education, and Chairman of the Varkey Foundation.
Who is Rouble Nagi?
Born on 8 July 1980 in Jammu & Kashmir, Nagi is an Indian artist specialising in sculptures, installations and paintings. Founder of the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation and Rouble Nagi Design Studio, she has created over 800 murals and held 150 exhibitions, pioneering Mumbai’s art-led community transformation initiatives.
Education rooted in ground realities
Nagi’s journey as an educator began in Mumbai’s underserved communities, where she encountered children excluded from formal schooling due to poverty and instability. In areas such as Dharavi, she recognised that access—not ability—was the real barrier.
Instead of waiting for systemic reform, she took classrooms into the community. She set up free learning centres offering basic literacy and numeracy, supporting children who had dropped out or never enrolled in school. Teachers often doubled as mentors, counsellors and community anchors.
Turning art into education movement
Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, she expanded her model across India, establishing over 800 learning centres in more than 100 underserved communities. Her innovative approach transforms public walls into educational murals, featuring alphabets, science concepts, environmental messages and social themes, turning neighbourhoods into “open-air classrooms.”
Also Read: Padma Shri for ex-JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar reignites debate over his academic legacy
Art became both a teaching tool and a bridge to community trust, ensuring sustained engagement.
What Nagi intends do with prize money
The Global Teacher Prize, launched by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO, carries a USD 1 million award.
Selected from 5,000 nominations across 139 countries, Nagi plans to use the prize money to expand skill-based and digital learning initiatives, beginning with new centres in Jammu and Kashmir.