NATIONAL : Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) awardees at his official residence earlier today.

Prime Minister presented souvenirs to each awardee and then engaged in a freewheeling interaction with them. The children shared details of the achievements for which they have been selected for the award. Various subjects like music, culture, solar power, and sports like badminton and chess, among others, were discussed.

The children also asked the Prime Minister several questions as well, while answering one of which, he spoke about his interest in music of all kinds and how it helps him in meditation.

On being asked about the launch of Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana yesterday, the Prime Minister recalled the steps taken by him to harness solar energy from when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat and also spoke about how people will benefit from this scheme.

Prime Minister also discussed with the children the significance of the day and told them about Parakram Diwas and how the government is honoring the legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Notably, Jyotsna Aktar from Tripura is among the awardees who received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on Monday.

The Government of India has been conferring the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to children for their exceptional achievement in seven categories namely- Art & Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service, Sports and Environment.

Meanwhile, each awardee is given a medal, certificate, and citation booklet. This year, 19 children from across the country, under different categories, have been selected for PMRBP-2024. The awardees include 9 boys and 10 girls belonging to 18 States/UTs.