Announcing this at a press conference organised at Indian Council for Child Welfare, New Delhi, Mrs Gita Siddhartha, President, ICCW, said that the coveted Bharat Award has been conferred on 8 ½ year old Kumari Mahika Gupta of Delhi who saved her brother from floods at Kedarnath (Uttarakhand).
The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award has been conferred to 16 year old Kumari Maleka Singh Tak of Rajasthan who displayed rare grit and determination in fighting off her molesters. The Sanjay Chopra Award has been given to 17 year old Master Shubam Santosh Chaudari of Maharashtra who saved two children when their school van caught fire.
This year a total of 25 children were selected for the prestigious awards of which five were given posthumously. Among the awardees, nine were girls.
"We are confident that with such brave children the future of our country is bright. I am confident that your acts of bravery will not only encourage other children, but also inspire all citizens to work for the good of all and to do good work," he said.
"The youngest among you is seven-year-old Tanvi, who saved her four-year-old sister from drowning. Helping others at such a tender age is not an ordinary thing," he said.
Manmohan Singh also mentioned the brave deeds done by other children like Shilpa Sharma from Himachal Pradesh who saved a child from a leopard; Shubham Santosh Chaudhari from Maharashtra who saved two girls from a fire; and Malieka Singh Tak who took on four men alone.
25 children have been selected to receive 'National Bravery Awards' for their heroics this year. click here for more information about <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/6905406');" href="/links/?u=http://www.erewise.com/">National Bravery Awards</a> The awards distributed by Prime Minister on the eve of Republic Day honours and recognizes extreme gallantry by the young ones in the face of danger.
Facts:
- Out of 25, there are 9 girls while 5 awards are to be given posthumously.
- The awardees will receive a medal, certificate and cash.
- Recipients also get financial assistance until the completion of their schooling.
- Since the inception of the scheme in 1957, the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) has given awards to 871 brave Children- comprising 618 boys and 253 girls.
Awards categories
- The National Bravery Awards: Instituted by the ICCW in 1957 for an exceptionally outstanding, meritorious and gallant deed.
- The Bharat Award: Awarded since 1987.
- Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra Awards: Instituted by ICCW in 1978 in fond memory of the brother-sister duo who died at the hands of Ranga Billa way back in 1978 in Delhi.
- Bapu Gaidhani Awards: Instituted in 1988 by ICCW.