President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 upon 20 exceptional children in New Delhi this Friday, celebrating their extraordinary achievements in bravery, sports, innovation, arts and culture, and social service. The ceremony was a poignant reflection of the country’s diverse young talent, featuring two posthumous awards given to Byoma of Tamil Nadu and Kamlesh Kumar of Bihar, whose parents accepted the honours on their behalf. Byoma was recognised for sacrificing her life to save a younger child from electrocution, while Kamlesh gave his life to rescue a child from drowning in the Durgawati River. The bravery category also highlighted the courage of 10-year-old Shvan Singh, who served Indian Army troops at the Pakistan border, Muhammed Sidan of Kerala, who saved friends from live electrical wires, and 9-year-old Ajay Raj, who bravely fended off a crocodile to save his father’s life.
The field of sports saw a wide array of talent, led by 14-year-old cricketing prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 7-year-old chess champion Vaka Laxmi Pragnika. The awards also lauded mountaineer Vishwanath Karthikeya Padakanti for scaling the Seven Summits, Olympic swimmer Dhindhi Desinghu, and record-breaking weightlifter Jyoshna Sabar from Odisha. Further sporting excellence was recognised in judoka Yogita Mandavi, footballer Anushka, and para-athletes Shivani Hosuru Uppara and Jyoti, who have all demonstrated immense grit and discipline at national and international levels.
In the realm of innovation and science, Aishi Prisha Borah was honoured for creating sustainable pencils from waste paper, Pooja for designing a dust-free thresher to protect farmers’ health, and Arnav Maharshi for his advancements in Artificial Intelligence. The cultural and social sectors were represented by tabla artist Suman Sarkar, Mizoram’s singing sensation Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamate, and Vansh, who was recognised for his advocacy for student mental health. Collectively, these young awardees, who also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, represent the spirit of innovation and selflessness that defines the future of the nation.
