New Delhi: 22 children selected for National Bravery Awards

New Delhi (IANS): Twenty two children - 10 girls and 12 boys - from 12 states have been selected for the ICCW National Bravery Awards 2019. One award has been given posthumously. Adithya K.,15, from Kerala will get the coveted Bharat Award for saving more than 40 lives after a bus they were travelling in caught fire. As soon as the passengers were evacuated, the vehicle's diesel tank had exploded and gutted it.

Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW) has instituted five special awards this year -- ICCW Markandeya Award, ICCW Dhruva Award, ICCW Abhimanyu Award, ICCW Prahalada Award & ICCW Shravan Award.

ICCW Markandeya Award goes to 10-year-old Rakhi from Uttarakhand, who saved her four-year-old brother from a leopard. She sustained severe injuries in the incident.

ICCW Dhruva Award goes to Purnima Giri, 16, and Sabita Giri, 15, from Odisha for saving 12 persons from drowning after a boat capsized in a river full of crocodiles.

ICCW Abhimanyu Award has been given posthumously to Muhammed Mushin E.C. who saved three friends from a violent sea but himself died in the process.

Srimati Badra, 10, has been nominated for ICCW Prahalada Award for helping a friend who lost her right leg in a train accident. Due to her timely and courageous action, her friend's life was saved.

ICCW Shravan Award has been given to Sartaj Mohiudin Mugal from J&K for saving his sisters and parents when his house collapsed after an artillery shell hit it.

The other recipients are Sri Kamal Krishna Das from Assam, Kanti Paikra and Bhameshwari Nirmalkar from Chhattisgarh, Alaika (Himachal Pradesh), Aarti Kiran Shet and Venkatesh (both from Karnataka), Mudasir Ashraf (J&K), Fathah P.K. from Kerala, Zen Sadavarte and Master Akash Machindra Khillare, both from Maharashtra, Lourembam Yaikhomba Mangang from Manipur, Everbloom K. Nongrum from Meghalaya, Master Lalliansanga, Carolyn Malsawmtluangi and Master Vanlalhriatrenga (all from Mizoram).

The National Bravery Awards were started by the Indian Council for Child Welfare in 1957 to recognise children for outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire others to emulate their example.

The ICCW has so far honoured 1,004 children with the award, including 703 boys and 301 girls.

Each awardee receives a medal, a certificate and cash.

The selected children get financial assistance through donations from philanthropists till they complete graduation. Those opting for professional courses such as engineering and medicine get financial support through scholarship schemes.