The applications for the 2026 edition are now officially open, marking the beginning of a nationwide search for schools that are reshaping the learning ecosystem beyond traditional academic benchmarks. The initiative is guided by ARISE’s core philosophy of “Student First,” focusing on institutions that are building resilient educational environments, strengthening teacher capacity, nurturing future-ready learners, and driving measurable transformation within their communities.
Over the past three editions, the ARISE Excellence Awards have evolved into a respected benchmark within the K–12 education ecosystem, highlighting impactful stories of transformation from schools across India. The awards have seen increasing participation from both private and government schools, reflecting a growing shift in the country’s education landscape, where institutions across rural, semi-urban, and urban regions are emerging as active contributors to innovation, equity, and systemic change aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
The awards framework is designed to identify schools driving meaningful interventions in areas such as future-ready skills and experiential learning, teacher development, digital transformation and compliance systems, sports and performing arts, sustainable development goals, global leadership, and the revival of Indian knowledge systems. The evaluation process follows a rigorous two-tier jury mechanism comprising experts from academia, governance, public policy, and industry, ensuring a comprehensive and balanced assessment of institutional impact.
To strengthen credibility and transparency, the entire evaluation process will be independently tabulated by Ernst & Young, reinforcing the integrity of the selection mechanism and maintaining high standards of accountability throughout the assessment process.
Speaking on the launch, Director General of FICCI, Jyoti Vij, stated that the ARISE Excellence Awards have established themselves as a credible platform for recognising innovation and excellence in school education. She emphasised the strength of the structured evaluation system, diverse jury representation, and the focus on scalable models that can inspire broader educational transformation across the country.
ARISE President Dr Arunabh Singh highlighted that schools today are operating in a rapidly evolving environment shaped by technological advancement, changing learner expectations, and the need for holistic education systems. He noted that the awards aim to recognise institutions responding to these challenges with innovation, intent, and measurable outcomes, while also acknowledging the increasing contribution of government schools in driving community-level transformation.
The awards will culminate in the announcement of winners at the ARISE Annual School Education Conference scheduled to be held on September 25 and 26, 2026, bringing together educators, policymakers, school leaders, and industry stakeholders from across the country. The last date for submission of applications has been set as June 30, 2026.
Founded in 2016 under FICCI, ARISE is a not-for-profit independent industry chamber body focused on advancing K–12 education in India through research-based strategic interventions in policy and regulatory frameworks. The organisation also serves as a platform for educators and school founders to exchange best practices and build sustainable knowledge ecosystems aimed at strengthening nation-building through education.
The launch of the 4th Edition of the ARISE Excellence Awards 2026 underscores a continued national effort to recognise, document, and scale transformative educational practices that place students at the centre of systemic change in India’s school education landscape.
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