PRADHAN MANTRI RASHTRIYA BAL PURASKAR 2021-22

Winners To Be Awarded With Digital Certificates

`In an award ceremony held for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed digital certificates to the 61 winners of PMRBP 2021-22 using a blockchain and self-sovereign identity-driven technology developed by CRUBN, an IIT Kanpur incubated company, under the National Blockchain Project. In view of the COVID-19 circumstances in the country, the function was held in an online-mode on the occassion of National Girl Child Day and furthermore as a component of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. The awardees, their parents and concerned District Magistrate of their particular area joined the occasion from their district offices.

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, also dubbed as Prime Minister’s National Award for Children, is a civilian honour in India. It is presented in two categories :

Bal Shakti Puraskar– It is awarded to Indian citizens aged under 18 for outstanding achievement in stated six categories. It was instituted in 1996, by NGO Indian Council for Child Welfare. It was previously known as “National Child Award”.

Bal Kalyan Puraskar– It is presented to individuals or organisations who have made outstanding contributions in child protection, child development, or child welfare. It was previously called as National Child Welfare Awards. The award was instituted by Ministry of Women and Child Development in 1979.

Both the awards were renamed and combined to form “Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar”, in 2018. It is administered by Ministry of Women and Child Development. The award is conferred by President of India in the week preceding India’s Republic Day. Prime Minister of India also meets the awardees at his residence.

This year, out of 623 participants, 29 Children ( 15 Boys and 14 Girls) among the awardees belonging to 21 States and UTs. have been conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, given by Ministry of Women and Child Development every year for for their achievements in innovation (7), social service (4), scholastic (1), sports (8), art and culture (6) and bravery (3), belonging to 21 States and UTs. In total, 61 awardees of 2021 and 2022 got the digital certificates. The digital certificates are stored on digital wallets installed on the mobile devices of the recipients. The certificates issued using the SSI-enabled blockchain driven technology are unforgeable, globally verifiable, selectively disclosable, and sensitive to user content. Block Chain Technology is being used for the first time for giving certificates to the awardees.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is given as recognition to children residing in India, above the age of 5 years and  not exceeding 18 years (as on August 31 of respective year)  with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in 6 fields of innovation, scholastic achievements, sports, arts and culture, social service and bravery, which deserve recognition. The awardees also take part in the Republic Day parade every year. Each awardee of PMRBP is given a medal, a cash prize of Rs 1 Lakh and a certificate. The cash prize will be transferred to the respective accounts of PMRBP 2022 winners. These awards are conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Prime Minister also interacts with these awardees every year.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted that these awards become all the more significant in the light of the fact that they have been conferred during the important period when the country is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. He said this is the time to draw energy from the past and dedicate oneself to achieving great results in the coming 25 years of the Amrit kaal. He also greeted the daughters of the country on National Girl Child Day. The Prime Minister remembered the glorious history of the Freedom Struggle and the contribution of Birbala Kanaklata Barua, Khudiram Bose and Rani Gaidinilu. “These fighters had made the country's freedom the mission of their lives at a very young age and had dedicated themselves for it” the Prime Minister noted.