- 24 children named for National Bravery Awards 2006
- TeluguOne salutes the bold-hearted little masters
Twelve-year-old V.Teja Sai and 13-year-old C V S Durga Doondieshwar, who rescued their schoolmates from drowning in an Andhra Pradesh village, are among the 24 children chosen to recieve the National Bravery Awards, 2006.
Class 8 student, Valiveru Teja Sai of Vijayawada and Class IX student, C.V.S. Doondieswar lost their lives saving children who fell into a river.
Sai, Doondieshwar and Manoj Chouhan from Madhya Pradesh will be honored posthumously, while 21 other children will receive awards for courage shown in the face of adversity, the Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW) said in a statement.
13-year-old Vandana Yadav from Uttar Pradesh has been selected for the prestigious Geeta Chopra Award for her act of bravery in fighting off assailants.
Three children will receive the Bapu Gaidhani awards for saving children from floods and participation in anti-naxalite programmes, the ICCW said.
While 13-year-old Asma Ayyub Khan from Mumbai was chosen for the Gaidhani award for transporting 35-40 children to a safe location during floods which ravaged the city last year, Sushila Gurjar from Rajasthan was selected for her courage in revolting against the evil of child marriage.
Shilpa Janbandhu, a 15-year-old from Chhatisgarh was selected for braving dangers to take part in an anti-naxalite programme.
The children are scheduled to receive their awards from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the eve of Republic Day 2007.
How they’ve been selected?
Bravery Awards since 1957
The national awards for bravery were started in 1957 by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) to recognise and honour children who have performed outstanding deeds of bravery and selfless sacrifice. Every year the ICCW confers these awards to children below 16years of age.
Application process
Applications for these awards are acknowledged from Central/State government departments, Panchayats, Zila Parishads, school authorities as well as state and Union Territory councils for child welfare.
Selection
The selection is made by a committee constituted by the ICCW, comprising of representatives from the Secretariats of the President and the Vice-President, various ministries, as well as the Central Social Welfare Board, Police, All India Radio, Doordarshan and leading NGOs such as the National Bal Bhavan, SOS, Children's Villages of India, R K Mission and experienced ICCW members.
Announcement and ceremony
The awards are announced on November 14 (Children's Day) and the Prime Minister presents the awards on the eve of Republic Day. The awardees receive a medal, certificate and cash as a token of their indispensable courage.
In addition to this, some of them are also granted financial assistance to complete their schooling (ICCW's sponsorship programme) and professional courses such as medical and engineering (under the Indira Gandhi scholarship scheme). Assistance is also provided to some till they complete their graduation. |
