New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday described teachers as "frontline nation-builders" and stressed their role in nurturing curiosity, character, confidence and sensitivity among students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, while presenting the National Teachers Awards at Vigyan Bhawan. Congratulating this year's awardees, Murmu spoke about the contributions of education pioneers including Savitribai Phule, Rabindranath Tagore and Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, highlighting their efforts to expand education and promote learning in natural surroundings. She cited Tagore's Shantiniketan and Gopabandhu Das's "Van Vidyalaya" or open-air school as examples of the belief that children develop naturally in the lap of nature. This year, 82 teachers and educators have been selected for the National Teachers Awards. They include 48 school teachers, 21 teachers and faculty members from higher educational institutions and polytechnics, and 13 skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Referring to the awardees Murmu said it was encouraging that a large number of recipients teach in village schools. Their teaching and training methods, she said, could inspire other educators to pursue excellence....