The Ministry of Women and Child Development has recently announced that it is seeking nominations for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021. This prestigious award is presented to children, individuals, and institutions by the President of India in the week leading up to Republic Day (26th January) each year.
Understanding Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is divided into two categories: Bal Shakti Puraskar and Bal Kalyan Puraskar. Each of these categories have different recognitions, eligibility criteria, awards, and backgrounds, making them unique in their own way.
The Bal Shakti Puraskar: Recognizing Exceptional Young Talent
The Bal Shakti Puraskar is an annual award given by the Government of India to highlight and celebrate the exceptional achievements of children in various fields. These fields include innovation, scholastic achievements, social service, arts & culture, sports, and bravery.
The eligibility criteria for this award require that the nominee is an Indian citizen who resides in India and falls between the age group of 5-18 years.
The winners of the Bal Shakti Puraskar receive a medal, cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000, book vouchers worth Rs.10,000, a certificate and a citation of acknowledgement for their exceptional achievement.
Instituted in 1996 as the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement, it was renamed as the Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2018.
The Bal Kalyan Puraskar: Celebrating Outstanding Contributions’
The Bal Kalyan Puraskar is an award that acknowledges the extraordinary contributions made by individuals and institutions in service for children in the field of child development, child protection, and child welfare.
An individual eligible for this award should be an Indian Citizen, residing in India and must be of 18 years or older. They should have worked for the cause of children for a minimum of 7 years. In the case of institutions, they shouldn’t be entirely government-funded and should have been in the field of child welfare for at least a decade, with consistent performance.
Three awards are given under each of the two sub-categories – Individual and Institution, accompanied by cash prizes of Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 5,00,000 respectively.
The Bal Kalyan Puraskar was instituted as the National Child Welfare Awards in 1979, and got its new name in 2018.
These awards play a crucial role in the recognition and appreciation of the tireless efforts made by both individuals and institutions for child development and welfare. It also encourages children to strive for excellence in various fields and have significant contributions towards society.