Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024

Current Context : President Droupadi Murmu presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 on December 26, 2024, to 17 exceptional children from across India.

• The awards honor remarkable achievements in seven categories: Art and Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Science and Technology, Social Service, Sports, and Environment.
• Awardees include 7 boys and 10 girls from 14 states and union territories.

Notable Awardees and Their Achievements

Art and Culture

• Keya Hatkar (14 years): An author and disability advocate excelling in art and culture.
• Ayaan Sajad (12 years): A Sufi singer from Kashmir contributing to Kashmiri music.
• Vyas Om Jignesh (17 years): A cerebral palsy-affected Sanskrit scholar who memorized over 5,000 slokas.

Bravery

• Saurav Kumar (9 years): Saved three girls from drowning.
• Loanna Thapa (17 years): Rescued 36 residents from a fire.

Innovation

• Sindhoora Raja (15 years): Developed self-stabilizing devices for Parkinson’s patients.
• Risheek Kumar (17 years): Founded Kashmir’s first cybersecurity firm.

Sports

• Hembati Nag: A judo player from a Naxal-affected area who won silver at the Khelo India National Games.
• Anish Sarkar: Youngest FIDE-ranked chess player at the age of three.