Acid Attack Survivor among Bravery Award Winners

New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) A 16-year-old acid attack survivor is among the 24 children who would be conferred this year's National Bravery Award, it was announced Saturday.

Resham Fatma will receive the coveted 'Bharat Award' for showing exceptional gallantry while fighting off her tormentor.

"Eight girls and 16 boys have been selected for the National Bravery Awards for the year 2014," an official statement said. Four children are being given the award posthumously, it said.

The prestigious 'Geeta Chopra Award' has been conferred on Assam's Gunjan Sharma, 13, who displayed exemplary valour in saving her friends from the clutches of an abductor.

The 'Sanjay Chopra Award' has been given to Devesh Kumar, 16, of Uttar Pradesh for displaying outstanding courage while confronting two chain snatchers.

Rumoh Meto, 13, of Arunachal Pradesh, Late Riya Chaudhary, 15, of Uttar Pradesh and Late Monika, 16, of Uttarakhand have been given the 'Bapu Gaidhani Award'.

Meto saved a person from electrocution, Chaudhary sacrificed her life while trying to save her father when some miscreants attacked her family. Monika lost her life while trying to save a child from drowning.

The other recipients are Jitendra Marathe, Hiral Jitubhai Halpati and Late Gaurav Kumar Bharti (Gujarat), Sahanesh R. (Karnataka), Ashwini Bandu Ughade (Maharashtra), L. Brainson Singh and G. Tooldev Sharma (Manipur), Ripa Das (Tripura), Balram Dansena (Chhattisgarh), Rajdeep Das (Jharkhand), Anjith P, Master Aqil Mohammad NK and Midhun PP ( Kerala), Stevenson Lawriniang (Meghalaya), Late Mesak K. Remnalalnghaka (Mizoram), Mhonbeni Equng (Nagaland) and Labhanshu (Uttarakhand).

The selection was made by a committee comprising representatives of various ministries, departments, NGOs as well as office-bearers of the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).

The children will receive the awards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi Jan 24 at a special function and will participate in the Republic Day parade Jan 26. President Pranab Mukherjee and several other dignitaries will also host receptions in their honour.

The National Bravery Award Scheme was initiated by the ICCW to give due recognition to children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire other children to emulate their examples.

It was in 1957 that two children - a boy and a girl - were first rewarded for their presence of mind and courage. Since then ICCW decided to confer national awards on children every year.