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Journalism of Courage
President Pratibha Patil presented the National Child Awards for exceptional achievement to young kids from across the country on Sunday,on the occasion of Childrens Day,at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In the presence of children from schools all over India,President Patil handed out the awards in a gilded ceremony held in the imposing Ashoka Hall at the presidential house.
For many children it was a rare honour to be present at the ceremony. Ateeb Raza,14,a student of International School in Patna who attended the ceremony,had this to say before the event began,I am so nervous,I have goosebumps. We have been told we will get to click our picture with the President and if I get an opportunity to talk to her,I want to tell her about the hardships faced by people who live in slums back home in Patna.
The National Child Awards for exceptional achievement are given to children in the age group of 4-15 years for outstanding achievement in fields such as academics,culture,arts,sports,and music amongst others. This year the award went to 26 children with diverse achievements.
Amongst the awardees were prodigies like 11-year-old Sumit Nagpal who has won a score of national and International lawn tennis tournaments,5-year-old Anjali who has displayed exceptional achievement as a swimmer,14-year-old Jasleen Kaur who is remarkable in the fields of academics and has presented papers to bodies like the Reserve Bank of India.
Dhananjay,10,who was presented the achievement award in the field of art wants to become the President when he grows up. But,if thats not possible then I will join Railways like my father, he says.
The President also handed out National Awards for Child Welfare to institutions and individuals for outstanding achievement in field of child welfare and development. Amongst the awardees were the Public and Police Association,Dalit Sangh,and Maruti Seva Centre for Special Education.
