These 19 Brilliant Children Won the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar For Exceptional Achievements
From tech and innovation to sports and arts, these 19 children have just been conferred with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar award, India’s highest civilian honour for children.
From a young AI-powered robot designer and mountaineer with Down syndrome to the ‘Google boy’ and a painter with disabilities, these 19 children have been bestowed with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 for their exceptional achievements.
The awardees comprising 10 girls and nine boys were conferred with the award by President Droupadi Murmu on 22 January 2024 and are expected to participate in the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2024.
Here is the list of 19 kids who were awarded for showcasing exceptional bravery, innovative thinking, artistic prowess, and selfless social services.
Aaditya Vijay Bramhane
The 12-year-old, who hailed from the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, sacrificed his life to rescue his cousins from drowning after they fell into a river while playing. For his incredible act of bravery, he was awarded the Bravery Awards posthumously.
Arijeet Banerjee
The 13-year-old from West Bengal was conferred for his exceptional skills in playing the traditional Pakhawaj. Previously, Arijeet has received accolades such as the Bharat Ratna M S Subbulakshmi Fellowship and has been included in the Asia Book of Records.
President Droupadi Murmu presented Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. The President said that children and youth are the leaders of the future of our country. It is our duty to make them aware of Indian culture and life values along with providing them modern education.… pic.twitter.com/7NHovQslYz— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 22, 2024
Armaan Ubhrani
Hailing from Chhattisgarh, Armaan is also known as the ‘Google boy’. He was awarded for his exceptional skills in math and science. At only the age of six, he secured several records like the youngest author of a book series and solving 100 multiplication sums.
Anushka Pathak
The eight-year-old from Uttar Pradesh was awarded for having established herself in the religious text narration in the art and culture category. With her captivating performances across 22 states, she has become a recognised figure in the this realm.
Hetvi Kantibhai Khimsuriya
The 13-year-old with cerebral palsy was awarded for displaying extraordinary artistic abilities. So far, the Gujarat resident has created 250 works of free-hand painting and selflessly donates her monthly disability pension to support children with disabilities.
Ishfaq Hamid
At the age of 13, Ishfaq from Kashmir’s Baramulla district is well-known for his exceptional Rabab playing and his efforts in promoting this traditional art globally. Previously, he was also honoured with the Bhai Mardana National Award 2020 by NGO Sarhad.
Md Hussain
The 16-year-old from Bihar was awarded for his exceptional skills in handcrafted arts. He has presented his indigenous toys to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ programme. He has won several accolades in state and national-level competitions.
Pendyala Laxmi Priya
The 14-year-old from Telangana is a Kuchipudi dancer. She was awarded for excellence in the field of art and culture. So far, she has performed in over 200 programmes, festivals, and competitions in the seven years of her dance journey. Last year, she won the national Kala Utsav National Award 2023 in the classical dance category.
Suhani Chauhan
The 16-year-old from Delhi was awarded in the realm of innovation. She has developed a solar-powered agriculture vehicle – ‘SO-APT’ – that can sow seeds, irrigate fields, and offer impressive solutions for sustainable farming.
Aryan Singh
The 17-year-old from Rajasthan was recognised in the science and technology category for creating an Agrobot. It is an AI-powered robot aimed at simplifying the lives of farmers by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Avnish Tiwari
At the age of seven, Avnish Tiwari with Down syndrome and 50 percent intellectual disability trekked to the Mount Everest base camp. Avnish, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, received the Shresth Divyang Bal Puraskar in 2022 for his exceptional social service.
Garima
The nine-year-old with visual impairment was awarded in the selfless social service category. The resident of Navdi village of Haryana, Garima is committed to providing education to underprivileged children and children with visual impairment through her initiative called “Sakshar Pathshala”.
Jyotsana Akhtar
The 16-year-old from Tripura was conferred the award for her determination to stand against child marriage. She tells The Better India, “My marriage was fixed with a man twice my age who had been divorced. I wanted to study further and get a good job, if possible, earn better than the man with whom my marriage was fixed.”
Jyotsana retaliated and refused to get married so early. Today, she is an inspiration to other young girls to fight against child marriages.
Saiyam Mazumder
The 15-year-old from Assam was awarded in the field of wildlife conservation. Since the tender age of 10, Saiyam has been engaged in the rescue of stray animals, including dogs, rabbits, and snakes. Till now, he has rescued over 1,000 stray dogs and 800 snakes.
Aaditya Yadav
The 12-year-old from Uttar Pradesh was awarded for his accomplishments in sports. A badminton player with disabilities, Aaditya has won several tournaments, including international championships, demonstrating resilience and excellence.
Charvi A
At the age of nine, the Karnataka resident has become the Under-8 World Chess Champion. She has secured multiple titles at both national and international levels.
Jesicca Neyi Saring
The nine-year-old from Arunachal Pradesh is a highly-skilled badminton champion. She has set the record for winning the girl’s singles category at 09, 11, and 13 in Dorjee Khandu Memorial State Badminton Championship. Recently, she won the gold medal at the All India Sub Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament (U-13) in Bihar.
Linthoi Chanambam
The 17-year-old who hails from Manipur is the first Indian to clinch a judo championship in any age group. She secured gold at the 2022 World Judo Cadets championship in Sarajevo.
R Surya Prasad
Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, R Surya accomplished the feat of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of nine. He started mountaineering training at the age of five.
Source:
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 announced: By Press Information Bureau published on 19 January 2024.
AI-robot designer to Pakhawaj player, 19 children to be presented national awards on Monday: By The Economic Times published on 19 January 2024.
PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024: Mountaineer, AI scientist, ‘Google boy’ among 19 children honoured: Published by Decan Herald on 22 January 2024.
Tripura IAS Officer’s Idea Is Preventing Girls From Leaving School; Stopped 90 Child Marriages: Published by The Better India on 20 September 2020.
Edited by Padmashree Pande.
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