New Delhi, November 20
Seventeen children, have been named for this year’s national bravery awards, which will be presented to them by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the eve of Republic Day.

Assam’s Ratul Chandra Rabha and Rituparna Boro have been named for the Bharat Award for their brave chase of militants who had killed their schoolteacher, an Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) statement said today.

Maharashtra’s Sanmesh Mahesh Kalyanpur, 14, has been named for the Sanjay Chopra Award for saving his sister from drowning.

Ten-year-old Seidalyne Mawtyllup of Meghalaya will receive the Geeta Chopra Award for saving her three-month-old sister from a house on fire.

Orissa’s Minati and C Susheela of Andhra Pradesh, both 14, have been named for the Bapu Gayadhani Award for their revolt against child marriage.

Uttaranchal’s Mahesh Kumar, 15, will also receive the same award for saving an 11-year-old girl from a tiger.

The other recipients of the bravery awards will be Kerala’s Sarath Babu, Divya T V and the late Shibu, Laxman of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh’s Mukesh Kumar Tanwar, Nagaland’s Puttijungshi, Nelson Karam and Pusparani Devi of Manipur, Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarani Venkateswara Rao and Maharashtra’s Santosh Ramesh Dahe.

The awardees would also be granted financial assistance for schooling under its sponsorship programme.

The selection was made by a high-power committee comprising representatives of various ministries, departments, NGOs and senior members of the Indian Council of Child Welfare.

The National Bravery Award scheme was initiated by the ICCW in 1957, and since then a total of 687 children — 500 boys and Child Welfare in 1957, and since then a total of 687 children — 500 boys and 186 girls — have been given the awards.