President confers national awards on children for outstanding contribution

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind presented national awards to 26 children, including a six-year-old environmentalist, for their outstanding contribution in various fields.

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar was given under two main categories -- Bal Shakti Puraskar and Bal Kalyan Puraskar.

The Bal Shakti Puraskar was given to boys and girls for their outstanding works in the fields of innovation, scholastic, sports, arts and culture, social service and bravery.

The Bal Kalyan Puraskar was given to individuals and institutions for their commendable contribution and service in the field of child welfare. President Kovind presented the awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi and other dignitaries.

In the field of innovation, Mohammad Suhail Chinya Salimpasha, Arunima Sen, Aswath Suryanarayanan Sen, Naisargik Lenka, A U Nachiketh Kumar and Madhav Lavakare were awarded the Bal Shakti Puraskar. In the field of social service, Aryamaan Lakhotia, Prathyaksha B R and Eiha Dixit were awarded. In scholastics, Ayushman Tripathy, Megha Bose and Nishant Dhankhar bagged the award.

In art and culture, Raam M, Dev Dushyant Kumar Joshi, Vinayaka M, Aryaman Agarwal and Truptraj Atul Pandya were awarded. In sports, Shivangi Pathak, Esow, Priyam Tated, Anish and Vijay Deokule were given the award.

Kartik Kumar Goyal, Adrika Goyal and Nikhil Dayanand Jituri were given bravery awards. Kartik and Adrika, who were given bravery award for showing extraordinary courage during riots, stone pelting and curfew during the Bharat Bandh in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, said they are extremely happy for getting this recognition. These children provided food, water, medicine and first-aid to panicked passengers of a train which was stopped by rioters.

"We have put ourselves in shoes of the victims of the trains and knew we had to help them in any possible way," 10-year-old Adrika said on the sidelines of the function.

The youngest awardee was six-year-old Eiha, who has been working for increasing tree-cover in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. "I want to urge everyone to plant as many trees as possible on social occasions to save the environment," she said.

Arunima Sen, who won in the field of innvation, said it is a "dream come true" for her.