Every 26 December, India honours its most exceptional children on the same day it remembers two boys who died refusing to bow. The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) is India’s top national honour for children aged 5 to 18. Conferring it on Veer Bal Diwas deliberately links today’s young achievers to a centuries-old act of courage.
Must Know
The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar: Essentials
The PMRBP at a Glance
- Full formPMRBP stands for Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar.
- DefinitionIt is India’s top national honour for children aged 5 to 18.
- ScopeThe award recognises achievement across six categories: Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Sports, Art & Culture, and Science and Technology.
- Who confersThe President of India confers the award each year, at a ceremony in New Delhi.
- The awardEach award comprises a medal, a certificate, and a citation.
- ScaleAround 25 children are honoured each year. Since the award’s 2019 inception, 203 children have received it.
Veer Bal Diwas: Why 26 December
- WhatVeer Bal Diwas is a national observance held every year on 26 December.
- MeaningIn plain words, “Veer Bal” means “brave child” and “Diwas” means “day”.
- The linkThe PMRBP is deliberately conferred on this date each year.
- OriginPrime Minister Narendra Modi declared the observance on 9 January 2022.
- First markingIt was first marked later that same year.
- The ideaHonouring today’s achievers on this date links contemporary success to a centuries-old act of courage.
The Two Sahibzadas: A Story of Courage
- WhoThe day honours Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.
- Their ageThey were just 9 and 7 years old.
- Their familyThey were the two younger sons of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
- What happenedThey were martyred at Sirhind for refusing to abandon their faith under coercion.
- The yearSources differ on the exact year: some say 1704, others 1705.
- Why it mattersThe date remembers children who showed extraordinary conviction at an even younger age than today’s awardees.
Good to Know
How the Honour Works
How a Child Gets Nominated
- Who can nominateAny individual or institution can nominate a child.
- Self-nominationSelf-nomination is also allowed.
- Where to applyNominations are submitted online at awards.gov.in.
- What to submitThe nomination describes the child’s achievement in under 1,000 words.
- Who qualifiesNominees must be Indian citizens aged 5 to 18.
- The barA child who has already won the award, in any category, cannot win again.
Who Decides: The Awards Committee
- The bodyAn Awards Committee reviews nominations and recommends awardees.
- ChairThe Committee is chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- Full formMWCD stands for Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- Who paysThe Ministry covers travel, boarding, and lodging for each awardee.
- FamilyUp to two parents or guardians can accompany the child, up to the New Delhi ceremony.
Timeline of the Honour
- 26 Dec 1704/05Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, 9, and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, 7, are martyred at Sirhind.
- 2018Two older children’s honours are renamed and combined into the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar.
- 9 Jan 2022Prime Minister Narendra Modi declares 26 December as Veer Bal Diwas.
- 26 Dec 2025The most recent ceremony brings the total honoured since 2019 to 203 children.
Test Yourself
Great to Know
Two Older Awards, One New Name
Bal Shakti Puraskar: The Children’s Award
- Former nameIt was formerly called the National Child Award.
- OriginIt traces back to 1996, when the Indian Council for Child Welfare instituted it.
- MeaningIn plain words, “Bal Shakti” means “child strength”.
- Six fieldsIt now covers Innovation, Social Service, Scholastic, Sports, Art & Culture, and Bravery.
- The packageEach winner receives a medal, a ₹1,00,000 cash prize, and ₹10,000 in book vouchers.
Bal Kalyan Puraskar: Honouring Those Who Serve Children
- Former nameIt was formerly called the National Child Welfare Awards.
- OriginIt is the older of the two honours, instituted by the Ministry in 1979.
- MeaningIn plain words, “Bal Kalyan” means “child welfare”.
- Who it honoursUnlike Bal Shakti Puraskar, it honours adults and institutions, not children.
- The prizeAn individual awardee gets a ₹1,00,000 cash prize; an institution gets ₹5,00,000.
- The barAn individual must show over 7 years of sustained work in child welfare, protection, or development.
The 2018 Reform: Two Awards, One Umbrella
- The changeThe PMRBP is newer in name only. It unifies two much older honours under one umbrella scheme since 2018.
- A new categoryThe reform added Bravery to the children’s award for the first time.
- A new portalIt also opened an online portal (nca-wcd.nic.in) that lets any citizen nominate a child directly.
- Full formNCA stands for National Child Award, the old name of the children’s honour.
- Early uptakeThe very first cycle drew 900 applications.
- Why unifyOne umbrella scheme makes the honours simpler to run and widens who can nominate.
Awardees Who Made Headlines
- Karina ThapaShe was honoured for saving 36 lives during a fire rescue.
- Avnish TiwariHe trekked to Everest Base Camp at age seven while living with Down syndrome.
- Posthumous ruleThe award is not usually conferred posthumously, but exceptions are made.
- ExampleAaditya Vijay Bramhane was honoured in 2024 after losing his own life saving his drowning cousins.
Current Affairs
Latest Updates
PMRBP 2026: Nominations Are Open
- UpdateNominations for the PMRBP 2026 cycle are open at awards.gov.in.
- DeadlineThe submission deadline is 31 July 2026.
- Age ruleNominees must be aged 5-18 as of that date.
- Source(Source: PIB)
Exam Point of View
Practice & Themes
MCQ Questions
- How to useThese questions are framed for UPSC and other competitive exams. Use them to revise the facts quickly.
- Q1On which day is the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar conferred every year? (a) 26 January (b) 26 December (c) 14 November (d) 5 September — Answer: (b).
- Q2Veer Bal Diwas honours the two younger sons of which Guru? (a) Guru Nanak (b) Guru Tegh Bahadur (c) Guru Gobind Singh (d) Guru Angad — Answer: (c).
- Q3In which year were the older children’s honours unified into the PMRBP? (a) 1996 (b) 1979 (c) 2018 (d) 2022 — Answer: (c).
- Q4Who confers the PMRBP each year? (a) The Prime Minister (b) The President of India (c) The Chief Justice of India (d) The Union Home Minister — Answer: (b).
- Q5Which category was added to the children’s award for the first time in the 2018 reform? (a) Sports (b) Bravery (c) Environment (d) Innovation — Answer: (b).
Written Answer Questions
- GS theme“Veer Bal Diwas and the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar together link a centuries-old act of courage with contemporary child achievement. Analyse how this pairing serves both remembrance and recognition.”
- Points to weave inThe age bracket (5-18), the six categories, the President as the conferring authority, and the 2018 unification of two older honours.
- Mechanism to explainTrace a nomination from awards.gov.in to the Awards Committee, chaired by the MWCD Secretary, and finally to the New Delhi ceremony.
- A critical angleWeigh the inclusivity of the process: self-nomination, the online portal, and the 900 applications received in the first cycle.
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