PM RASHTRIYA BAL PURASKAR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Gov policies and Awards)

Context: Recently, President of India conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2024, upon nineteen exceptional children in New Delhi.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

• About: It is a prestigious award presented by the Government of India to recognize outstanding achievements of children and individuals or institutions contributing to child welfare. 
• Categories: Bal Shakti Puraskar and Bal Kalyan Puraskar.

Bal Shakti Puraskar

• About: This category acknowledges exceptional accomplishments of children aged 5-18 in diverse fields such as innovation, scholastic achievements, social service, arts & culture, sports, and bravery.
• Eligibility: To be eligible, a child must be an Indian citizen residing in India and fall within the age range of 5-18 years.
• Award: Recipients of the Bal Shakti Puraskar receive a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000, book vouchers worth Rs. 10,000, along with a certificate and citation. The award was instituted in 1996 as the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement, later renamed Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2018.

Bal Kalyan Puraskar

• About: This category recognizes individuals and institutions for their outstanding contributions in the areas of child development, child protection, and child welfare.
• Eligibility: For individuals, residing in India, and having worked for the cause of children for a minimum of 7 years, with an age requirement of 18 years or above. Institutions should have been actively involved in child welfare for 10 years and should not be entirely funded by the government.
• Award: Bal Kalyan Puraskar grants three awards in each category - Individual and Institution - accompanied by cash prizes (Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 5,00,000, respectively). The recognized institutions must have consistently performed in the field of child welfare.