Ahead of the Republic Day event this year, 20 brave children from across the country are finding themselves at the centre of a storm over the status of the coveted National Bravery Awards. It all began when the Centre dissociated itself from the National Bravery Awards, which have been given out by NGO Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) since 1957.
According to he reports, the ministry of women and child development said that the step had been taken as the NGO had been put under the scanner by Delhi HC over its ‘financial integrity’.
Meanwhile, the ministry constituted its own national children’s awards for this year and included bravery as one of the categories under the awards now called Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2019. The National Selection Committee met last week under the chairpersonship of WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi and selected 26 children under various heads, including bravery.
These children will be part of the official R-Day Parade contingent this year and will be presented the Awards by President Ram Nath Kovind.
The NGO’s chairperson, Gita Siddhartha, said that she has written to the Prime Minister’s office as well as the defence ministry but hasn’t received a reply yet. Gita added that since these were their awards, the NGO would personally give it to the children in case the ministry does not.
