Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2024 conferred upon 19 children by President of India
The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred the “Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar” instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India to 19 children yesterday. On this occasion, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, dignitaries, senior officials, Anganwadi workers, and young children from various institutions were also present in a special function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 22nd January 2024.
This year’s awardees include one child each in the categories of Bravery, Science & Technology and Innovation, four in the category of Social Service, five in the category of Sports, and seven in the category of Art & Culture. The award ceremony began with the National Anthem and was a heartwarming spectacle of national integrity as each child received the award dressed in traditional attire, symbolizing the rich cultural tapestry of the country.
Congratulating the awardees, the President of India stated that these children are multi-talented and with their hard work they have the capability to shape their identity. She stated that the children must be shown the right direction so that they can make the best use of their skills and enthusiasm.
The President further added that the youth represents a precious resource for India, harboring the potential to significantly contribute not only to the nation’s advancement, but also to global development. She said that government is prioritizing new-age skills, futuristic technology, and AI so that our youth is prepared to face future challenges
On the auspicious day of consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, The President reminded the gathering of the virtues of Lord Ram of Patience; Respect for Elders; Courage; and Calmness in times of crisis. She encouraged the children to follow the ideals of Lord Ram and the values of Ramayana in their lives
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Women and Child Development & Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani congratulated the awardees and emphasized the significance of recognizing and honoring children’s contributions in nation-building. She also thanked the thousands of children who had filled in their nominations for the PMRBP online in the national awards portal for their keen interest. She stated that our children will not only lead India on the path of success, but will also make India a prominent power in the world. The Union WCD Minister highlighted how Artificial Intelligence was used for the first time in a national level award to search for feats of excellence.
She further expressed her gratitude to the families of the 19 awardees from 18 different States and UTs, who showcased exemplary courage, tenacity and skills. The Union WCD Minister blessed the children and expressed hope that they will become the building blocks for fulfilling the vision of the Prime Minister of India of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
The welcome address was delivered by Secretary, MoWCD, Shri Indevar Pandey. He congratulated the young champions, wished them luck for the future, and motivated them to keep achieving new heights of success.
Every year, the Government of India acknowledges the exceptional achievements of children in the age group of 5 to 18 years by conferring the ‘Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) upon them. Each awardee received a medal and a certificate from the President.
The nominations for the award were received in online mode on the Award portal of the Government of India- www.awards.gov.in. A total of 1879 applicants were received, out of which 1597 were found fit for consideration. The selection of awardees was made by the National Selection Committee under the chairpersonship of the Minister of Women and Child Development.
AWARDEES OF PRADHAN MANTRI RASHTRIYA BAL PURASKAR-2024
| Sr. No. | Name | State | Category |
| 1. | Aaditya Vijay Bramhane (posthumous) | Maharashtra | Bravery |
| 2. | Anushka Pathak | Uttar Pradesh | Art & Culture |
| 3. | Arijeet Banerjee | West Bengal | Art & Culture |
| 4. | Armaan Ubhrani | Chattisgarh | Art & Culture |
| 5. | Hetvi Kantibhai Khimsuriya | Gujarat | Art & Culture |
| 6. | Ishfaq Hamid | Jammu & Kashmir | Art & Culture |
| 7. | Md Hussain | Bihar | Art & Culture |
| 8. | Pendyala Laxmi Priya | Telangana | Art & Culture |
| 9. | Suhani Chauhan | Delhi | Innovation |
| 10. | Aryan Singh | Rajasthan | Science & Technology |
| 11. | Avnish Tiwari | Madhya Pradesh | Social Service |
| 12. | Garima | Haryana | Social Service |
| 13. | Jyotsna Aktar | Tripura | Social Service |
| 14. | Saiyam Mazumder | Assam | Social Service |
| 15. | Aaditya Yadav | Uttar Pradesh | Sports |
| 16. | Charvi A | Karnataka | Sports |
| 17. | Jesicca Neyi Saring | Arunachal Pradesh | Sports |
| 18. | Linthoi Chanambam | Manipur | Sports |
| 19. | R Surya Prasad | Andhra Pradesh | Sports |
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