The Hindu : New Delhi News : 24 children to get National Bravery Awards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2006
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New Delhi

24 children to get National Bravery Awards

Staff Reporter

Two children from Andhra Pradesh to get Sanjay Chopra Award posthumously

NEW DELHI: The National Bravery Awards for 2006 will be presented to 24 children — 12 boys and 12 girls — by the Prime Minister on the eve of Republic Day 2007. The awardees include three children who have been honoured posthumously.

Announcing the names of the awardees, the Indian Council For Child Welfare on Monday said the prestigious Sanjay Chopra Award had been given posthumously to 12-year-old Master V. Teja Sai and 13-year-old Master C.V.S. Durga Doondieswar of Andhra Pradesh who lost their lives while saving their schoolmates from drowning in the Munneru River. They saved four children among them.

The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award had been conferred on 13-year-old Vandana Yadav of Uttar Pradesh who bravely fought miscreants.

The Bapu Gayadhani Awards had been given to Asma Ayyub Khan (13) of Maharashtra, Sushila Gurjar (13) of Rajasthan and Shilpa Janbandhu (15) of Chhattisgarh. While Asma helped move around 40 children of her institution to a safe place in the floods which ravaged Mumbai in 2005, Sushila displayed extraordinary courage and resolve in revolting against the evil of child marriage. Shilpa participated in the extremely dangerous anti-Naxalite programme.

The other recipients of the awards are Deepa Kumari, Sudhir Jhakhar, Pavan Kumar Parashar and Rajender Kumar from Rajasthan; Manoj Chohan (posthumous) and Anita Singh Lodh from Madhya Pradesh; David Kino from Arunachal Pradesh; Michael N. George and Joel Salim Jacob from Kerala; Parth S. Sutaria, Antara Raju Srivastava and Ankita Ashok Bhosale from Maharashtra; Pushpa, Sourabh Rajwade from Chhattisgarh; Kashika Singh from Punjab; Paonam Babyrose Devi from Manipur; Pooja Kabadwal from Uttaranchal and Rahul Chourasia from Uttar Pradesh.

Selection of awards

A high-powered committee comprising representatives of various ministries and departments, NGOs and senior members of the ICCW were involved in the selections of the Awards.

The President and several other dignitaries will host receptions for the children, who will also participate in the Republic Day Parade.

Initiated by the ICCW in 1957, the National Bravery Awards have been presented to 710 children — 512 boys and 198 girls.

The awardees will be given financial assistance till they complete their schooling under the ICCW's sponsorship programme.

ICCW also provides financial help under the Indira Gandhi Scholarship Scheme to those undertaking professional courses such as engineering and medicine.

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