NEW DELHI, Feb 6 : UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today presented the National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievement for years 2007 and 2008 to 38 children from across the country in a solemn function held at the Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhawan here.
From Manipur, Khaidem Ronaldo Singh got the national award for the year 2007 and Leonard Arambam got the national award for 2008, both in the field of sports.
National Awards for Child Welfare for the year 2007 and 2008 were also presented to 10 institutions and three individuals; and Rajiv Gandhi Manav Sena Award 2008 was given away to three individuals namely Dr. Meena K Jain from Karnataka, Dr. Azariah Korabandi from Andhra Pradesh and Maheshbhai S Kothari from Gujarat for their dedicated service for the welfare of children.
On the occasion, a postage stamp commemorating January 24 as the National Day for the Girl Child was also unveiled by Gandhi. January 24 has been chosen as it was on this day in 1966, that Indira Gandhi became the first woman to become the Prime Minister of India.
Addressing the gathering, Gandhi congratulated the awardees and said both the government and the civil society should join hands to see to it that India`s 40 crore children grow with ``swasthya (health), gyan (knowledge), umang (zeal) and umeed (hope)``.
She also called for concerted action to fight such ills prevailing in the society as child marriages, gender selective abortions, child labour and the like.
Among the national award for exceptional achievement awardees, Pratyush Nalam and Nischal Narayanam received the gold medals for 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Nalam got the gold medal in the field of computer and curricular activities. Nalam, who is battling a rare genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy for which there is no cure, has shown his excellence in academics, computers and extra curricular activities. By age nine, he has qualified in several Microsoft examinations, which led him to be recognised as Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer.
Narayanam got the gold medal in the field of mathematics and memory and, at age five, had mastered the `shlokas` of the Ramayana and the Gita. He is also the youngest world record holder for memorising most random objects in the Guinness Book of World Records, and has been selected as one of the seven brilliant brains of the world. He is also credited for being the youngest author of six volumes on mathematics at the primary level.
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