President Droupadi Murmu is set to honor 19 outstanding children with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2024 (PMRBP) during a ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan on January 22, as per the statement from the Ministry of Women and Child Development on Friday.

In addition to the award ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will engage with the PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardees on January 23. Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, and Minister of State Munjpara Mahendrabhai will also join in to interact with the children, offering congratulations for their remarkable achievements in various categories.

The PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2024 will be presented to 19 children chosen from across the country for their exceptional accomplishments in Art and Culture (7), Bravery (1), Innovation (1), Science & Technology (1), Social Service (4), and Sports (5), as stated in the press release. Among the awardees, there are 9 boys and 10 girls representing 18 states and UTs, including two aspirational districts.

The government of India bestows the PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) award upon children aged 5-18 years for their outstanding achievements in seven categories deserving national recognition, such as Art & Culture, Bravery, Environment, Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service, and Sports.

This year, the Ministry of Women and Child Development took special initiatives to boost nominations by advertising in regional and national newspapers. The National Award Portal accepted nominations from May 9, 2023, to September 15, 2023. Line Ministries, Chief Secretaries, Administrators, DMs, and DCs were urged to promote PMRBP through various media, including print and electronic platforms, to encourage nominations from all levels, including Gram Panchayats and Municipalities.

Artificial Intelligence was utilized for data crawling over the past two years, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) recommended deserving candidates. The credibility of claims was rigorously examined through multiple layers, including District Magistrates and domain experts, followed by a screening committee comprising experts in disciplines like Social Service, Environment, Science, Technology, Art & Culture, and Sports.

The profiles shortlisted after the screening committee meeting underwent further examination by National Level Independent Experts from various domains, such as Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Reserve Police Force, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Indian Space Research Organisation, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Indian Institute of Public Administration, and Sports Authority of India, among others. The final selection was made by the National Selection Committee.

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