National Bravery Award
Awards Type : National Award
Organized Country : India
First Award : 1957
The National Bravery Awards are a set of awards given annually to about 24 Indian children for "meritorious acts of bravery against all odds." The awards are given by the Government of India and the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).The award was instituted in 1957.On 2 October 1957, India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was watching a performance at Delhi's Ramlila ground, at the Red Fort. During the performance, a short circuit caused a fire to break out in a shamiana (decorated tent). Harish Chandra, a 14-year old scout, promptly took out his knife and ripped open the burning tent, saving the lives of hundreds of trapped people. This incident inspired Nehru to ask the authorities to establish an award to honour brave children from all over the country.
The first official National Bravery Awards were presented to Harish Chandra and one other child on 4 February 1958, by Prime Minister Nehru,and the ICCW ( Indian Council for Child Welfare) has continued the tradition ever since.The Sanjay Chopra Award and the Geeta Chopra Award were established in 1978, in memory of two Chopra children who lost their lives while confronting their kidnappers. The Sanjay and Geeta awards are given to a boy and a girl for acts of bravery.The Bharat Award was established in 1987, and the Bapu Gaidhani Award was established in 1988.
Award categories:
The Bharat Award,The Sanjay Chopra Award,The Geeta Chopra Award,The Bapu Gaidhani Award,General National Bravery Awards.
