By Pallavi Singh Parmar
Their ages may be tender but their talent is gigantic. They are aged between 5 and 18 years but they are exceptional and genius in the respective fields like Innovation, Scholastic, Art & Culture, Sports, Bravery and Social Service. While one among them is a Maths wizard, another child is a master in AI. Yet another kid is a brilliant innovator and another is an ace mountaineer and so on. Meet the group of 19 child recipients of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024. All of them have inspirational stories to showcase. For example, 12-year-old Hetvi Kantibhai Khimsuriya from Vadodara in Gujarat, despite facing severe cerebral palsy, has become the pride of her state through her extraordinary artistic abilities. She has received numerous awards for her freehand paintings. Her parents told UNI, “Hetvi learned to hold things when she was 6 years old. She has achieved as many as 110 national and international certifications. At the tender age of 12, she received honours from the Governor of Gujarat, Chief Minister, Health Minister, Social Justice, Women and Child Welfare Minister, Education Minister, Sports, and Home Minister through her art. She also owns a YouTube channel: ‘Special Child Education Activity Hetvi Khimsuriya,’ where she continues to inspire children, transcending barriers and redirecting their focus towards art. Her paintings and crafts have been exhibited in over 50 art galleries in India.” Garima, a nine-year-old with visual impairment from Haryana, has received recognition for her outstanding contributions to the field of Social Service.
In an interview with UNI, she said, “At the age of 3, I initiated ‘Sakshar Pathshala’ to provide education to underprivileged children and those with visual impairment. So far, I have supported 1,000 children in their education and aim to extend this support to 3,000.” Armaan Ubhrani, from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh has earned an award for his outstanding prowess in mathematics. At the age of 6, Armaan has earned recognition both nationally and internationally. He is not only a math champion but also the youngest author of a book series. Speaking to UNI, his mother said, “Armaan’s journey started when he was just 4.5 years old. I discovered his talent when I was making him learn multiplication tables from 1-20. I realized that he was learning tables quickly, so I searched whether there was any such record or not and applied for the Harvard World Record in London. Armaan got through it, and within weeks of that achievement, he broke his records, reciting tables up to 40. Now, he can recite tables up to 100.” Md Hussain, a 16-year-old boy from Bihar has achieved recognition for his remarkable talent in handcrafted arts. His unique artistic vision revolves around replacing plastic toys with sustainable alternatives. He not only showcases artistic excellence but also advocates for a greener and more sustainable future. He has earned accolades in state and national-level competitions. Speaking to UNI, Hussain said, “I utilize natural waste materials to craft toys. I aspire to propel my vision of creating sustainable and eco-friendly toys to replace conventional plastic toys.
My journey into the world of crafting began at Kilkari Bihar Bal Bhawan, an art school supported by the state government to nurture artistic talents among underprivileged children. My teacher, Bindu Singh, became the guiding force throughout my journey so far.” He said, “I am privileged and grateful to achieve this milestone and look forward to advancing my vision that echoes sustainability and a commitment to an eco-friendly future.” Jyotsna Aktar (16) from Tripura is transforming the lives of young girls by actively fighting against child marriage. Through her ‘Balika Mancha’ initiative, advocating for education and empowering other girls in her community. Charvi A, (9) from Karnataka has achieved recognition in the sports category, she is India’s No. 1 chess player in the Girls. Speaking to UNI she said, “This prestigious award motivates me to achieve more. I am the Under-8 World Chess Champion and U-8 Commonwealth Chess Champion for the year 2022. Additionally, I secured 5 gold medals and 1 silver at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in 2022.” Suhani Chauhan (16), a student of class 11 from Amity International School, Delhi has been awarded the Bal Puruskar for innovation. She developed ‘SO-APT’, a solar-powered tractor that incorporates all necessary agriculture tools into a single, portable vehicle. This eco-friendly tractor is not only cost-effective but also addresses the needs of small and marginal farmers. Suhani initiated this project in 8th grade after witnessing the challenges faced by farmers during a school visit to a farm in Manesar, she told UNI. Aryan Singh, a 17-year-old innovator from Rajasthan, ingeniously developed an Agrobot, an artificial intelligence-powered robot designed to simplify the lives of farmers through cutting-edge technologies. He told UNI, “I created the ‘Agrobot,’ an agricultural robot capable of performing multiple tasks. I have received an order to develop 5000 Agrobots from Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
I aim to set up an Agritech industry for farmers of our country.” Saiyam Mazumder (15) from Guwahati, Assam has earned the title of India’s youngest snake rescuer. Speaking to UNI he said, “I have rescued more than 800 snakes. My journey in wildlife conservation began at the age of 10, and since then, I have been dedicated to saving stray animals. I also earned recognition from the ‘India Book of Records’ and ‘Ingenious Charm World Records’.” Arijit Banerjee, a 13-year-old from Siliguri, West Bengal, has been honoured in the Art & Culture category for his expertise in playing the Pakhawaj, an ancient and traditional Indian classical music instrument. “I am truly delighted to be among the 19 children who have received this national recognition,” he said. Pendyala Laxmi Priya, a 15-year-old Kuchipudi dancer from Warangal, Telangana, said, “I feel very honoured and blessed to meet PM Narendra Modi and receive the Rashtriya Bal Puruskar Award.
I have been learning this dance art since the age of 7. My school recognized my talent in an interschool competition where I won the first prize, and to encourage my talent, they have been providing me with free education since the 6th standard. My father is physically handicapped, yet he worked incredibly hard to support me in reaching this stage, she added. Anushka Pathak (8) from Gorakhpur Mandal, has excelled in the domain of Art and Culture, particularly in Kathavachan (religious text narration). Following the esteemed footsteps of her father, She has established herself as a notable figure in the spiritual realm, captivating audiences across 22 states with her performances. Ishfaq Hamid (12) from Baramulla, J&K has been recognized for his exceptional skill in Rabab and Matka. R Surya Prasad (9) from Andhra Pradesh received an award for accomplishing the feat of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of nine. He commenced mountaineering training at the age of five. Among the winners is Aaditya Vijay Brahmane (12) from Maharashtra, who was awarded posthumously for his extraordinary act of courage. He fearlessly jumped into a river to save his two cousins from drowning, sacrificing his own life in the process.