Who is 11-year-old Kamlesh Kumar, who was awarded PMRBP 2025 posthumously for saving a child from drowning?

Kamlesh Kumar, an 11-year-old boy from Bihar, has been posthumously awarded the Prime Minister’s National Children’s Award (PMRBP) 2025 for his extraordinary courage. He is among 20 children from across the country to receive this prestigious honor this year.

Kamlesh was bathing in the Durgavati river with two other children near Jaipur village in Kaimur district, when one of them was suspected of drowning. He saved the child but in the process he died a painful death.

A search operation was conducted for 20 hours to locate him. His body was eventually recovered near Akodhi fair, about 15 km from his village.

Kamlesh was honored for “sacrificing his life in a courageous and spontaneous attempt to save another child from drowning”.

This year, 20 children from 18 states and union territories received the PMRBP, one of the prestigious national awards for children.

The award recognizes achievements in six categories, including bravery, social service, environment, sports, arts and culture and science and technology.

President Draupadi Murmu presented the award at a function held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today, 26 December, on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas, which is observed every year on 26 December to honor the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, the two youngest sons of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

He said that the award winning children have made their families, their communities and the entire country proud and expressed confidence that these awards will inspire all the children across the country.

He said that the greatness of a country is certain when its children are full of patriotism and high ideals.

The award is given to Indian children aged 5–18 years as on 31 July of the award year. The act, achievement or event for which the child is being nominated must have occurred within the last two years before the closing date of application.