From Bravery to Brilliance: How India Honours Its Young Achievers

Every year, as the nation marks Veer Bal Diwas and prepares for Republic Day, India turns the spotlight on its youngest role models through the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) . Instituted by the Government of India and formally conferred by the President of India , the award stands as the country’s highest civilian honour for children, recognising exceptional achievement and service between the ages of 5 and 18 .

Why the President confers a ‘Pradhan Mantri’ award

While the scheme bears the Prime Minister’s name signalling policy vision and national priority the conferment by the President gives it constitutional dignity and non-partisan stature . Much like the Padma Awards, this protocol underscores that the honour belongs to the Republic, not to any government of the day.

The shift from ‘Bravery’ to ‘Bal Puraskar’

For decades, India celebrated child heroes primarily through the National Bravery Awards , which recognised acts of physical courage children rescuing others from fires, floods, accidents, or confronting criminals, often at grave personal risk. Some awards were posthumous , acknowledging the ultimate sacrifice.

In 2018 , the framework was renamed and expanded to the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. The change reflected a deliberate policy turn: from rewarding courage alone to nurturing holistic excellence . Bravery remained central, but the canvas widened to include innovation, social service, sports, arts & culture, environment, and scholastic achievement domains where young Indians increasingly excel.

Who the award is for and what it celebrates

The PMRBP honours children who demonstrate outstanding merit or impact across six broad categories:

• Bravery (extraordinary courage and selflessness)

• Social Service (community leadership and compassion)

• Innovation (original ideas, science and technology)

• Sports (national and international performance)

• Arts & Culture (creative excellence and heritage)

• Scholastic Achievement (exceptional academics)

Awardees receive a medal, citation and national recognition , along with opportunities to engage with leaders and inspire peers nationwide.

Why the change matters

By broadening recognition beyond physical heroism, the PMRBP mirrors India’s contemporary aspirations, talent , creativity, empathy and leadership —while retaining the moral core of courage. It sends a clear message: excellence wears many faces, and the nation values them all.

This year’s awardees

At the 2025 ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a diverse group of children were honoured across categories. Those reported include Dhinidhi Desinghu (sports - swimming), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (sports - cricket), para-athletes Shivani and Jyoti (sports), a 14-year-old environmental advocate from Jorhat, Assam (environment), a 9-year-old singer from Mizoram (arts & culture), Kamlesh Kumar (posthumous, bravery) , Shravan Singh of Ferozepur (bravery), and Pooja Pal of Barabanki (innovation). Together with other honourees named across categories, the cohort reflects the breadth of young India’s promise from courage in crisis to creativity, compassion and competitive excellence.

In celebrating these children, the Republic affirms a simple truth: investing honour in youth is investing in the nation’s future.