17 Children selected for National Bravery Award
17 children have been selected for National Bravery Awards for 2005 out of which five are girls and 12 boys while, one award has been given posthumously.
Two of the awardees Master Rutul Chandra Rabha (14 years) and Master Rituparna Boro (15 years) of Assam have been given the coveted Bharat Award for chasing militants who killed their school teacher. One of the militants was apprehended. Master Sanmesh Mahesh Kalyanpur (14 years) of Maharashtra has been given the prestigious Sanjay Chopra Award for saving his sister from drowning. Ten year old Km. Seidaylne Mawtyllup of Meghalaya has been given the Geeta Chopra Award. Seidalyne saved her three month old sister from a blazing house.
Km. Dugi alias Minati (14 years) of Orissa, Kumari C. Susheela (14 years) of Andhra Pradesh and Master Mahesh Kumar (15 years) of Uttaranchal have been selected forapu Gayandhani Awards. Km. Dugi alias Minati and Km. C. Susheela both displayed extraordinary courage in revolting against the social evil of child marriage. Master Mahesh Kumar displayed bravery in saving an 11 year old girl from the jaws of a tiger.
The other recipients are : Master Sarath Babu, Km. Divya t.v., Late Master Shibu T. (all from Kerala), Master Laxman (Chhattisgarh), Master Mukesh Kumar Tanwar (Madhya Pradesh), Master Puttijungshi (Nagaland), Master Nelson Karam, Km. L. Pusparani Devi (Both from Manipur), master Nagarani Venkateswara Rao (Andhra Pradesh), Master Santosh Ramesh Dahe (Maharashtra).
The selection was made by a high powered committee comprising representatives of various Ministries/Departments, non-governmental organizations as well as senior members of Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).
The children will receive their Awards from the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on the eve of Republic Day 2006 and will participate in the Republic Day parade riding caparisoned elephants.
The Hon’ble President of India and several other dignitaries will host receptions in their honour. Several States too organize functions to honour them at the State level.
The National Bravery Award Scheme was initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare in 1957 and since then a total of 687 children—500 boys and 186 girls—have been given the awards.
Deserving awardees will be granted financial assistance until they complete their schooling under the Sponsorship Programme of the Council. Some State Governments also provide financial assistance to them. In addition, ICCW provides financial assistance under its Indira Gandhi Scholarship Scheme to those undertaking professional courses such as engineering and medicine. For the others, this assistance is provide till they complete their graduation. The government of India has reserved some seats for the awardees in medical and engineering colleges and polytechnics.
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(Release ID :13548)