On 23rd January 2023, President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for 2023 to 11 children for their exceptional achievement at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi.
- The 2023 awardees are from 11 states and Union territories (UTs) include 6 boys and 5 girls.
- Each awardee will receive a certificate, a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, and a medal.
Attendees – Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani; Minister of State (MoS) for Women and Child Development, Dr. Munjapara Mahendrabhai, were also present at the award ceremony.
- During the ceremony, Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani released a book on Baal Veer titled “Young Heroes of India” and presented the 1st copy to the President of India.
Winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023:
| Category | Name (age) | State |
|---|---|---|
| Art and Culture (Singer) | Aadithya Suresh(16) | Kerala |
| Art and Culture (Tabla artist) | Shreya Bhattacharjee(12) | Assam |
| Art and Culture (Classical Dancer) | M Gauravi Reddy(17) | Telangana |
| Art and Culture (Writer) | Sambhab Mishra(16) | Odisha |
| Innovation | Aditya Pratap Singh Chauhan(17) | Chhattisgarh |
| Innovation | Rishi Shiv Prasanna(8) | Karnataka |
| Sports (Mallakhamb) | Shauryajit Ranjitkumar Khaire(10) | Gujarat |
| Sports (SQAY martial arts) | Hanaya Nisar(16) | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Sports (Chess) | Kolagatla Alana Meenakshi(11) | Andhra Pradesh |
| Social Service | Anoushka Jolly(14) | New Delhi |
| Bravery | Rohan Ramchandra Bahir(15) | Maharashtra |
Click here to know more about the awardees
Key highlights:
i.Hanaya Nisar, who won the award under sport category, has represented India in the 3rd World SQAY Martial Arts Championship (October 2018) at Chingju, South Korea at the age of 12 years and bagged a gold medal.
ii.Shreya Bhattacharjee (12 years), a tabla artiste who has registered a record of playing the instrument for the longest duration in India Book of Records has been awarded under the art and culture category.
iii.Rishi Shiv Prasanna is the youngest certified android application developer.
- He is also the youngest YouTuber who runs a channel and in every episode he shares insights on science-related topics.
About Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:
i.Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar formerly called the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement, is India’s highest civilian honour for children, awarded annually by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
ii.The award is conferred on children in the age group of 5 to 18 years for their excellence in different fields of art and culture, bravery, innovation, social service, and sports.
The selection of awardees was made by a Selection Committee under the chairpersonship of the Union Minister for Women and Child Development.
About the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD):
Union Minister – Smriti Zubin Irani (Amethi Constituency, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Munjapara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai (Surendranagar Constituency, Gujarat)
