Rashtriya Bal Puraskar: How children are shortlisted for prestigious award

New Delhi: On 23rd January 2023, President Droupadi Murmu will be felicitating 11 children with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023 at Vigyan Bhavan.

These award holders will also get a chance to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi the next day, that is, on 24 January 2023.

This year, 11 children have been selected for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar from which, four are from Art and Culture field, one for Bravery, two for Innovation, one for Social Service, and three for Sports. Out of the 11 children, six are boys and five are girls from all over the nation.

How Rashtriya Bal Puraskar started

In order to reward the children for acts of bravery & courage, Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar was set up in 1996. Government has been recognizing exceptional achievement of children and  conferring the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in 6 categories since 1990s. Each awardee is given a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1 Lakh and certificate.

In 2018, the award has been renamed to ‘Bal Shakti Puraskar’ in which children with brave and courageous work are also included to get the award.

Eligibility and other details:

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is felicitated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The ministry releases a guideline before the selection of the award holders. An ideal candidate must be an Indian and also living in India. He or she must be in between the age group of 5 years and 18 years. Above or below the age group are not eligible for the award.

Awardees are selected on the basis of the following fields:

• Innovation: A child must do something innovative in the field of science and innovation that must create an impact on humans, living organisms, and the environment.
• Social Service: A child must have taken action against any social issues such as child marriage, sexual assault, etc.
• Education: A child who has possessed an excellent academic performance nationally or internationally is chosen eligible for this award.
• Sports: A child who has possessed an excellent performance nationally or internationally in the field of sports are chosen eligible for this award.
• Arts and Culture: A child who is successful in the fields of music, dance, and painting under this age is considered eligible for the puraskar.
• Bravery: A child who shows bravery and courage in order to make a change in someone’s life or for the environment is chosen for the award.

The winners of PMRBP (Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar) get a medal along with a certificate. Apart from that, they also receive an amount of 1 Lakh Rupees. Besides, they also take part in Republic Day Parade in Rajpath on 26th January every year.