Key Takeaways

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is India’s premier national honour dedicated to celebrating the exceptional resilience, courage, creativity, and indomitable spirit of young citizens aged 5 to 18. Conferred annually by the Hon’ble President of India at a special ceremony in New Delhi, the award recognizes outstanding achievements across six distinct categories: Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Sports, Art and Culture, and Science and Technology. By scheduling this prestigious presentation on Veer Bal Diwas (26th December)—a day dedicated to honouring the historical sacrifice and moral fortitude of the young sons of Guru Gobind Singh—the Government of India bridges contemporary youth excellence with a timeless legacy of conviction.

India’s Exceptional Children

India is a land of the brave, defined by generations of courage, intellectual brilliance, and sacrifice from its youth. From legendary young freedom fighters like Khudiram Bose to the Adi Shankara, who mastered the Vedas as a young child —the spirit of extraordinary conviction at a young age is deeply woven into the nation's history.

Today, this timeless spirit lives on as the Government honors exceptional children between the ages of 5 and 18 with the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. The award aims to recognise and honour children with exceptional achievements in various fields. The award serves to encourage and inspire young talent by acknowledging their contributions at the national level and motivating others to strive for excellence.

The Hon’ble President of India presents the award on Veer Bal Diwas, observed on 26^th December. Comprising a medal, a certificate and a citation, the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is a tribute to the resilience, courage, creativity, and indomitable spirit of India’s young changemakers.

Since its inception in 2019, 203 children have received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. Through this initiative, the government is encouraging children to strive for excellence not just in academics but also in other pursuits, including personal conduct.

Awards Conferred on Veer Bal Diwas

The Government observes Veer Bal Diwas on 26^th December every year. The day remembers Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, sons of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Zorawar and Fateh Singh were aged 9 and 7 respectively. On December 26, 1704, they were martyred for refusing to abandon their faith under coercion. Their martyrdom represents courage, moral strength and devotion even at a young age. Their sacrifice and bravery in the face of adversity were extraordinary, and they continue to inspire children today.

Conferring the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on Veer Bal Diwas celebrates the talent, creativity and achievements of India's youth — in history and today.

Award Details

Children are conferred around 25 awards for exceptional bravery and for excellence in six fields:

• Bravery: The award is given to a young child to acknowledge her/his selfless service in the face of risk to her/his own life;
  • and/or an act of outstanding courage and daring against an adverse natural or man-made situations;
  • and/or an exceptional act of mental strength, quick wit and presence of mind in the face of grave danger to self and society.
• Social Service: Leadership skills in motivating, organizing and mobilising community towards rights of women & children and others
• Environment: Consistent efforts/achievements in environmental issues at various levels
• Sports: Consistent achievements in sports at the national and international levels to be encouraged
• Art and Culture: Consistent efforts to promote cultural heritage and achievements in art & culture at the national and international levels in art, music (vocal & instrumental), dance, painting or any other form of art /culture.
• Science and Technology: Includes new developments/Innovation that have positively impacted society, improved quality of life, or contributed solving real-world challenges.

They Showed the Way — Previous PMRBP Awardees

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar has honoured children whose courage, creativity and compassion belie their years. Among recent recipients:

• Arnav Anupriya Maharshi (Science & Technology, 2025) – A physically handicapped 17-year-old from Aurangabad, Maharashtra who developed an AI-based rehabilitation tool for hand paralysis.
• Karina Thapa (Bravery, December 2024) – A 17-year-old from Amravati, Maharashtra, who saved 36 lives by removing a gas cylinder from an active fire scene during a rescue operation, and was recognised as a Fire Brand Ambassador by the Municipal Corporation
• Aaditya Vijay Bramhane (Bravery, 2024) — The 12-year-old from Nandurbar, Maharashtra, leapt into a river to save his drowning cousins despite not being a strong swimmer, sacrificing his life in the rescue. He was honoured posthumously.
• Anushka Pathak (Art & Culture, 2024) — Began Katha Vachan at the age of four and has performed Shrimad Bhagvat Katha and Ramcharitmanas recitals in over 22 states and cities.
• Armaan Ubhrani (Art & Culture, 2024) — Chhattisgarh's six-year-old "Google Math Boy," the youngest in the India Book of Records to solve 100 multiplication sums, and the youngest author of a book trilogy.
• Hetvi Kantibhai Khimsuriya (Art & Culture, 2024) — Living with severe cerebral palsy, this Vadodara artist has created 250 free-hand paintings and donates her disability pension to a special child care institute.
• Charvi A (Sports, 2024) — India's No. 1 in girls' U-8 and U-10 chess; Under-8 World and Commonwealth Chess Champion in 2022.
• R Surya Prasad (Sports, 2024) — Began mountaineering training at five and scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro in April 2022; he was nine when honoured.
• Aditya Pratap Singh Chauhan (Innovation, 2023) — Developed "MICROPA," a cost-effective technology to detect and filter microplastics from drinking water.
• Anoushka Jolly (Social Service, 2023) — Created the "Anti-Bullying Squad Kavach" app, which has offered mental health counselling to students for four years.
• Avnish Tiwari (Social Service, 2024) — A nine-year-old with Down syndrome who trekked to Everest Base Camp at seven and featured in TEDx talks, sparking a national conversation on inclusivity.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2026

Eligibility & Nomination Details

The children nominated for this award must be:

• Indian citizens and residents of India
• Between 5 and 18 years of age (as on July 31, 2026)
• Not previous recipients of the award in any category
• The act, incident or achievement must have occurred within two years of the nomination deadline of July 31, 2026.

The award is not conferred posthumously, but exceptions may be made.

A child can be nominated for more than one category, but the committee has the discretion to accept only one application.

Any individual or institution can nominate a child. Children may also apply through self-nomination. Recommendations are also invited from certain government entities and offices. These include:

• Central Ministers
• Chief Ministers
• Governors
• Lieutenant Governors
• Administrators of Union Territories
• Members of Parliament
• Ministries and departments of the central government
• State Governments
• Union Territory Governments
• District Magistrates and Collectors
• Principal Secretaries of Women and Child Development or Social Welfare Departments
• Educational Institutions and schools under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan or the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.

Applicants must complete their personal details and the award category and upload a recent photograph and supporting documents. They must also submit a brief description of their achievement and its outcome, in a maximum of 1,000 words.

All nomination entries must be submitted at https://awards.gov.in by the deadline.

Awards Committee

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development constitutes the awards committee and gives final approval for the awards. The committee, chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, comprises domain experts from the award categories. It reviews the nominations and recommends the awardees.

Expenses Covered

The Ministry of Women and Child Development covers round-trip economy travel, local transport, boarding and lodging for awardees and up to two parents or guardians. Travel is covered from the awardee's residence or institution of study to New Delhi, capped at the economy fare or actual expense, whichever is lower. Divyang awardees may be provided business class tickets to minimise physical strain.

Awards must be received in person; if the awardee cannot attend, or in posthumous cases, a parent or guardian may receive it on their behalf.

Celebrating Nation’s Future

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) is more than a medal and a citation. It is the nation's way of telling young citizens that their courage, creativity, and compassion matter. The award celebrates the determination, ability, zeal, and enthusiasm of our children.

By honouring them on Veer Bal Diwas, the government links today's achievers to a timeless legacy. The sacrifice of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh embodied conviction beyond their years.

This vision relies on your collective eyes and ears to discover these hidden gems. If you know a child whose extraordinary journey—be it an act of sudden heroism or years of quiet dedication to science, art, or social change—deserves national recognition, remember that bringing their story to the national stage begins with your single nomination. If you are that child, even better. Just Click!

References

Press Information Bureau: 

• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=156743&ModuleId=3&reg=48&lang=2 
• https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/dec/doc20251226745801.pdf

Others:

•   https://www.facebook.com/indiainnorway/posts/on-26121704-7-9-year-old-baba-fateh-singh-zorawar-singh-the-sahibzade-of-10th-gu/499570798943757/ 
•   https://awards.gov.in/Home/AwardLibrary