Govt Invites Entries for National Child Awards, Honouring Young Achievers in Bravery, Sports, Science & Arts

The Government of India has invited nominations for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP), a prestigious national-level award conferred annually to recognize exceptional achievements of children across the country.

About the Award

• PMRBP is India’s highest civilian honour for children aged 5–18.
• Recognizes achievements in bravery, sports, social service, science & technology, environment, and arts & culture.
• Conferred by the President of India, with awardees often meeting the Prime Minister.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: Above 5 years and not exceeding 18 years as on 31 July 2026.
• Citizenship: Must be an Indian citizen residing in India.
• Fields of recognition: Bravery, Sports, Social Service, Science & Technology, Environment, Arts & Culture.

Nomination Process

• Nominations must be submitted only through the National Awards Portal – awards.gov.in.
• Any citizen can nominate; self-nominations are allowed.
• Recommendations from others will also be considered.
• Deadline: 31 July 2026.

Significance

• Encourages young achievers to contribute to society and inspires peers.
• Provides national recognition of children’s talent across diverse disciplines.
• Strengthens India’s commitment to youth empowerment and innovation.

Official Statement

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development emphasized that PMRBP celebrates children’s exceptional contributions and nurtures future leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

This year’s call for nominations is a golden opportunity for parents, teachers, and communities to highlight the achievements of India’s brightest young minds.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar – Winners (Recent Years)

Year	Awardee	Category	State/UT
2025	Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika (7)	Sports – Chess	Telangana
2025	Ajay Raj & Mohammed Sidan P	Bravery	Kerala
2025	Vyoma Priya (9) & Kamlesh Kumar (11)	Bravery (Posthumous)	Tamil Nadu / Bihar
2025	Shravan Singh (10)	Social Service	Rajasthan
2025	Shivani Hosuru Uppara	Sports	Karnataka
2025	Vaibhav Suryavanshi	Sports – Cricket	Maharashtra
2024	19 Children (Names not listed)	Innovation, Scholastic, Sports, Arts & Culture, Bravery, Social Service	Multiple States/UTs
2022	29 Children (Names not listed)	Innovation (7), Social Service (4), Scholastic (1), Sports (8), Arts & Culture (6), Bravery (3)	21 States/UTs

👉 For complete year‑wise lists, visit the official National Awards Portal: awards.gov.in.

IAN Angel Fund Leads ₹4 Crore Seed Round in Famyo to Build India’s Smiggle and LEGO Equivalent

Famyo, a kids’ lifestyle brand that transforms everyday essentials into cool collectibles, has raised ₹4 crore in a seed funding round led by IAN Angel Fund, with participation from Shivali Vij, Deepank Kumar, Pratik Mathurkar, and Uday Sodhi as lead investors. Chennai Angels, Stoffer Norden also co-invested.

Famyo is a Bengaluru-based kids’ lifestyle brand that turns everyday essentials into cool collectibles led by kids' favourite characters. When children crave fun and parents demand safety, Famyo delivers on both. Its glow-in-the-dark blankets, adventure-ready poncho towels, and character-themed accessories blend playful design with premium materials. From character creation and seasonal drops to character-led storytelling, the company oversees every step, reimagining everyday kid essentials like blankets, towels, pouches, and school gear into premium, design-first collectibles rooted in characters and themes that resonate with Indian children.

Famyo, co-founded by Karishma Seetharaman and Ritvik Raj, is India's answer to global favorites like Smiggle and LEGO, one theme at a time.

Famyo has already crossed an ARR of over ₹12 crores, is growing at 40% quarter-on-quarter, and demonstrating strong emotional resonance with both kids and parents.

Drawing on prior entrepreneurial success in scaling a traditional retail family business through an extensive offline distribution network, Karishma Seetharaman leverages deep expertise in supply chains, retail dynamics, and product–market fit to drive Famyo’s rapid execution and growth.

6 Countries that Implemented or Considering Ban on Social Media for Users Under Certain Age

Recently, Australia has passed a bill to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and others. The legislation aims to address concerns over online safety and the negative impact of social media on young people's mental health.

This legislation, which was approved by the Australian Senate on November 29, 2024, imposes fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (approximately Rs 275 crore) on social media companies that fail to prevent underage users from creating accounts. Messaging apps and online gaming platforms are exempt from this ban.

Besides Australia, more countries have implemented or are considering age restrictions for social media use to protect young people from potential online harms.

Here are some examples:

1. United Kingdom:

While the UK does not currently have plans for an Australia-style ban, it has passed the Online Safety Act, which sets stricter standards for social media platforms, including age-appropriate restrictions. The UK is considering a similar ban for individuals under 16. The Online Safety Act aims to enforce the removal of detrimental posts and protect young people from harmful content.

2. France:

In France, children under 15 cannot create a social media account without parental consent. The government requires legally documented parental consent for accessing social media platforms.

Social media firms that fail to comply with these regulations face fines of up to 1% of their global revenues. France is also advocating for an EU-wide adoption of similar regulations, urging other European countries to follow its lead.

3. United States:

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) mandates that children under 13 cannot legally have a social media account. Some states, like Ohio and Florida, have required parental permission for minors to use social media.

In a proposed Federal Legislation, the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would set a minimum age of 13 for social media use and require parental consent for users aged 13 to 17.

Montana has banned TikTok within the state. New Jersey has established a commission to study the effects of social media on adolescent.

4. South Korea:

South Korea had a "shutdown law" that limits children under 16 from accessing gaming sites after midnight. However, this law has faced challenges with enforcement.

Initially introduced in 2011, the Cinderella Law or shutdown law banned children under 15 from playing online games between midnight and 6 a.m. to prevent tiredness in school. However, it was replaced in 2021 with a "choice permit" system, allowing parents to set approved playing times.

In August this year lawmakers in South Korea proposed a bill aimed at regulating use of social media by under-16.

5. Norway:

Norway is set to enact a strict age minimum of 15 for social media use following a government campaign against social media giants.

The current minimum age limit to use social media in Norway is 13, which is in line with the requirements of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat’s terms of service.

Last month, Norway has announced plans to raise the minimum age for social media use from 13 to 15. This decision aims to protect children from harmful online content and data collection practices. Social media platforms will need to implement age verification measures to ensure that users are at least 15 years old.

In India, the country has Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, requires data fiduciaries to collect verifiable parental consent from parents of children under the age of 18 for processing their data online.

In 2023, the Karnataka High Court suggested to the Union Government to implement an age limit of 21 for accessing social media, citing concerns about excessive addiction among schoolchildren and its negative impact.

In the EU, parental consent is required for processing personal data for children under the age of 16, although member states can lower this limit to 13.

These measures reflect a growing global effort to protect young people from the potential negative effects of social media.

e-Curse: 5 Kids in Bihar Learning To Make Bomb By Watching YouTube Got Injured by Explosion

In an incident that is truly tragic and concerning for the society, some children in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, aged between 7 to 12 years were trying to make a bomb after watching a YouTube video when tragically the bomb accidentally exploded, injuring five children.

Unfortunately, the bomb explosion resulted in injuries to five children. The incident has sparked widespread concern and has gone viral on social media.

These children from BIHAR were making Bombs,learning via Youtube. while making it exploded but only caused minor injuries to them they are safe Now..@YouTube should not encourage such videos that harm people. pic.twitter.com/vNV9Dgeknb

— Ashwin.. (@EvilTweetX) August 8, 2024

Local authorities have emphasized the need for parents to monitor their children’s online activities more closely. They also highlighted the importance of educating children about the dangers of attempting to replicate hazardous activities seen online. This tragic event underscores the critical need for better digital literacy and safety measures to protect children from such risks.

This highly concerning incident highlights the critical need to monitor children's online activities. It is essential to ensure that children are safe and aware of what they are watching and learning on the internet.

To prevent such incidents, social media platforms can play a crucial role in preventing incidents like the one in Muzaffarpur by implementing several key measures such as Proactive Monitoring wherein the online video platforms use advanced algorithms and AI to detect and remove harmful content, such as videos showing how to make dangerous items like bombs.

These platforms must also encourage users to report inappropriate or dangerous content and ensure that reported content is reviewed and acted upon promptly.

Besides, parents should also keep an eye on what their children are watching online. Use parental control settings on devices and platforms like YouTube to restrict access to inappropriate content. Parents must teach children about the dangers of attempting to replicate dangerous activities seen online. Encourage open communication so they feel comfortable discussing what they watch.

Need for School and Community Programs:

Safety Workshops: Schools and community centers can organize workshops to educate children about online safety and the potential risks of imitating dangerous activities.

Digital Literacy: Incorporate digital literacy into the curriculum to help children understand how to use the internet safely and responsibly.

Flagging Dangerous Content

From April to June 2024, YouTube received over 23 million flags from human users. This indicates a high level of community engagement in reporting inappropriate content.

The most common reasons for flagging videos include spam or misleading content, hateful or abusive content, sexual content, violent or repulsive content, and harmful or dangerous acts.

A significant portion of flagged content is reviewed and acted upon. For instance, from October to December 2017, 75.9% of all automatically flagged videos were removed before they received any views.

Improvements in automated flagging systems have also helped detect and review content even before it is flagged by the community. More than 80% of auto-flagged videos were removed before receiving a single view in the second quarter of 2019.

Reportedly, YouTube employs trained human reviewers who evaluate flagged content 24/7 to ensure it violates the Community Guidelines before taking action. This helps maintain a balance between automated systems and human judgment.

By taking required steps, both by parents are and social media platforms, a safer online environment can be created which would help prevent such tragic incidents. 

1,800 Bitcoin Wallets Suspected of Engaging in Transactions Linked to Child Sexual Exploitation or Human Trafficking

According to a recent report by the wired, US senators have called for fresh scrutiny of cryptocurrencies' role in paying for child sexual abuse imagery online, a problem that they say has worsened.

"These are deeply troubling findings revealing the extent to which cryptocurrency is the payment of choice for perpetrators of child sexual abuse and exploitation," wrote US senators Elizabeth Warren and Bill Cassidy. They called for the United States' Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to redouble efforts to stop the use of cryptocurrency to pay for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.

Citing data from the US Treasury's Financial Crime Enforcement Network as well as research from Chainalysis, a company that specializes in tracing crypto transactions, and the Internet Watch Foundation, a CSAM-focused charity, the letter asserts that the "use of cryptocurrency in the illicit trade of CSAM appears to be increasing."

Between January 2020 and December 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) identified over 1,800 unique Bitcoin wallet addresses related to suspected online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) and human trafficking offenses. This alarming trend highlights the use of cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin, in criminal activities involving the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) refers to victimizing minors for sexual gratification or other purposes. In this context, Bitcoin has been used to pay for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The overlap between OCSE and human trafficking within the realm of cryptocurrency transactions underscores the need for vigilance and collaboration among financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and nonprofit organizations to combat these heinous crimes.

It's essential to continue monitoring and addressing such illicit activities to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.

Catching perpetrators using crypto currencies for illegal transactions

While the use of cryptocurrencies can provide anonymity and challenges for law enforcement, there have been notable successes in catching perpetrators involved in criminal activities.

The Silk Road, an infamous dark web marketplace, facilitated illegal transactions using Bitcoin. In 2013, the FBI arrested Ross Ulbricht, the alleged founder of Silk Road, and seized approximately 144,000 Bitcoins (worth over $1 billion at today's prices). This case demonstrated that even pseudonymous transactions on the blockchain could be traced back to individuals.

Law enforcement agencies collaborated internationally to identify the site's operator, Alexandre Cazes. Cazes was arrested in Thailand, and authorities seized his assets, including cryptocurrencies.

In some cases, investigators have traced ransom payments to specific wallets and identified the perpetrators. For instance, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attackers were tracked down, and part of the ransom was recovered.

Companies specializing in blockchain analytics provide tools to track transactions. These tools help law enforcement agencies follow the money trail and identify suspicious addresses.

Cryptocurrency exchanges cooperate with authorities by sharing information on suspicious transactions. This collaboration has led to the identification of criminals using exchanges for cashing out illicit gains.

Remember that while these success stories demonstrate progress, challenges remain. Criminals adapt, and privacy-focused cryptocurrencies continue to emerge. Law enforcement agencies must stay vigilant and adapt their strategies to combat crypto-related crimes effectively.

Groclub, India’s 1st Circular D2C Kids Subscription Platform, Gets INR 4.3 Cr in Funding Led by Ramaiah Evolute

Gro Club, India’s first D2C kids subscription platform which is built around the principle of circular economy, announced they have secured a funding of INR 4.3 crores at a valuation of INR 25 Cr led by Ramaiah Evolute, a start-up wing of MS Ramaiah Group.

An angel consortium consisting of Deepak Gowda of Ascent Capital and Purushotham R, Chirag Shah of Velvet (Los Angeles), Isaac Reyes of Ravis (Panama), Amit Nanavati of Juicy Chemistry, Sanjay Munirathna of Keerthi Group, Dinesh Talera, Shricharan N J and Sanjay Sunku (Drink Prime) also participated in the round.

GroClub, launched in January 2022, is currently available in Bengaluru. In 16 months, Gro Club has quickly gained momentum in the market, Within the 25kms range it offers its operating range, it has onboarded ~4500 subscribers and currently clocking a Subscription Monthly Revenue Rate of INR ~ 23 L.

Gro Club offers products on subscription for growing kids which kids can upgrade as they grow. Gro Club primarily challenges the "take-make-dispose" approach and encourages the "reduce-reuse-regenerate" mindset for growing kids.

Gro Club was born out of the co-founders' own parental experiences—Pruthvi Gowda, Hrishikesh, Sapna & Roopesh Shah—who have kids between the ages of 2-14 years and have actively accumulated innumerable products their kids have outgrown.

“Gro Club is on a mission to disrupt the kids space through subscription plans tailor made for access economy, meaning parents never need to buy certain products for their kids again. The fact that parents can now subscribe to a product for the period it is useful to their kids itself is a gamechanger,” said Samartha Raghava, Chief Strategist, Ramaiah Evolute.

“Circular Economy is a transformative concept, especially in this age of rapid climate change, that promotes responsibility, reuse, and regeneration without compromising on consumer experience. Consider a scenario of having growing kids at home – as parents, we naturally want to provide them with various consumer goods like clothes, shoes, cycles, strollers, books, toys, etc. However, the reality is that kids outgrow these products quickly, leading to wastage and drain of resources. Gro Club is disrupting this broken “buy and discard economy” by creating a “subscribe and recycle economy” ensuring a superior product experience at an affordable price point accessible to all aspiring parents. Unlike traditional market purchases that may only last for a year, products from Gro Club can be effectively used for a minimum of 10 years and in some categories a lifetime. This significantly reduces resource utilization, improves affordability, enhances kids’ experience and engenders profitable growth” said Deepak Gowda, Partner Ascent Capital.

"As we tackle climate change, it's vital to teach our children responsible consumption - 'reduce-reuse-regenerate.' GroClub strives to be a sustainable ecosystem, allowing parents to subscribe and access quality products on fractional ownership. Our goal is to offer top-notch products and create community-driven, enriching experiences for parents and children. With the funds raised, we'll expand our range and reach new Indian cities," says Pruthvi Gowda, Co-Founder & CEO of GroClub.

Beyond Subscription, GroClub is an ecosystem which fosters holistic development of kids by teaching them responsible consumption. At Gro Club, kids not only enjoy a brand new product experience, they also get access to a wide variety of digital and outdoor experiences.

About GroClub:

Gro Club, launched on January 13th, 2022, is India's pioneering circular D2C kids subscription brand, offering parents the opportunity to subscribe to products for their growing children. Beyond subscription Gro Club is an ecosystem which fosters holistic development of kids by teaching them responsible consumption. At Gro Club kids not only enjoy a brand new product experience, they also get access to a wide variety of digital and outdoor experiences. In recent years, the circular economy has gained significant momentum as a sustainable resource management approach, emphasizing waste reduction and responsible consumption.

Within the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) sector, brands hold a unique position to drive this transformative shift and embrace circular economy principles for responsible commerce. By prioritizing sustainable product design, implementing take-back initiatives, fostering collaborations, educating consumers, and ensuring transparency, D2C brands can make meaningful contributions to waste reduction and the establishment of a circular economy. Gro Club's mission is to revolutionize the D2C landscape through responsible practices, ultimately benefiting both businesses and the planet.

D2C Kids Furniture Brand Boingg Raises INR 2 Cr in Pre Series A Led by Inflection Point Ventures

Neha Indoria CEO Dhruvan Barar COO of Boingg

• Boingg is a fun and functional range of furniture, soft furnishings, and accessories for kids
• Boingg is recognized as the top children's furniture and lifestyle brand in India.
• Funds raised will be utilized to expand machinery, licensing, and the branding of the company
• This is IPV's second round of investment in the brand
• IPV has so far invested over Rs. 550 Cr across 140+ deals

D2C kids focused furniture brand Boingg has raised INR 2 Cr in a Pre Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures, one of India’s largest angel investment platforms. The funds raised will be utilized to expand machinery, licensing, and the branding of the company. The company has increased its physical footprint with the launch of a physical store in Gurgaon since the last fundraise.

Neha Indoria, Co-founder, and CEO of Boingg, an alumnus of the International Management Institute and Dhruvan Barar, Co-founder and COO, an alumnus of IIM Kozhikode launched Boingg in December 2019 with an aim for full customization of furniture that is focused on children and all elements of their home life. Boingg offers customizations in real-time, helping parents design their kids’ room with furniture that is functional and completes the look. With this, they also have products in all the categories related to setting up children’s rooms.

The focus of the products stays on the strength, utility, and safety of the kids. The company works on an inventory-less model so as to save on real estate, storage, and maintenance costs. Along with this, they also offer products in every category relevant to decorating kid-friendly spaces. Their unique manufacturing model allows for low capital blockage in inventory and real estate. The company works with a constantly evolving extensive catalogue which is designed in-house to allow the customers a variety of options to choose from. Hence, the customization requests are seamlessly executed.

Vinay Bansal, Founder & CEO, Inflection Point Ventures says, The kids’ furniture market is still a niche but a fast growing segment in India. Boingg is working with due diligence to expand this market with its new products. The kids furniture market is a white space with no clear leader as it is a highly unorganised segment lacking quality and designer products specially made for kids. Boingg is aiming to disrupt this market as they grow their online and offline presence prompting us to lead the second round in the Company.”

Neha Indoria, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Boingg says, “Boingg! is on a mission to make every child’s room in India, a happy, fun-filled functional space, that is unique to them. Furniture is at the core of what we do, but, for us, the whole room is a white canvas, and we want to keep adding to our already exhaustive portfolio of 2500+SKUs (95% of which is manufactured in-house) across categories like decor, bedlinen, bathroom accessories, bags and so much more. In 2023, we aim to triple our month-on-month revenue and open more offline locations to serve our customers better. We are very excited to have IPV as part of this journey for the second time round. Together, we are on our way to create a powerhouse brand that caters to the most special people in all our lives, our kids.”

Indian Furniture Market is valued at Rs 220K crores, of which the organized online retail accounts for only 3%, although the market share is expected to grow to 24% for organized offline retail and 14% for online retail by the year 2025. The organized kid’s furniture segment is witnessing a 5% YoY growth since 2015. The kids’ furniture market is estimated to expand at Rs 7-10K crore annually, giving Boingg a large market opportunity to tap.

About Boingg

Boingg! is a fun, functional & fantastic brand of furniture and lifestyle for kids. Through our ever-growing portfolio of 2500+ SKUs, designed and manufactured in-house, we want to make rooms as unique as the kids living in them by giving customized, thoughtful and functional solutions for the child’s every need and for kids of every age.

About Inflection Point Ventures & Physis Capital

Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) is an angel investing platform with over 7300+ CXOs, HNIs, and Professionals who invest in startups. The firm supports new-age entrepreneurs by providing them with monetary and experiential capital and connecting them with a diverse group of investors. IPV has announced the launch of a $50 million CAT 2 AIF Physis Capital to invest in pre-Series A to Series B growth-stage start-ups.

BuzzingBubs ensuring that parents spend the best time with their kids

As parents, I am sure you have all done your share of endless research – whether it’s finding the right toys, fun things to do on weekends, where to holiday or planning the perfect birthday party. And we know that each time, you wanted to do more with our kids. “We created BuzzingBubs for parents like us who want to make our kids’ days more fun and memorable. Our goal is to be your guide whenever you’re looking for ideas for things to do with your kids," say the founders Sunena Saigal and Priyanka Sehgal.

Launched on April 23, 2013 in Bangalore, Buzzingbubs.com is a platform to serve the interests of parents with kids. The contributors on this wesite are from different walks of life and have helped to create a holistic, well-rounded content. “Our aim is to give emphasis to quality over quantity while we explore every area of relevance in this domain.We wish to cut out the noise and curate information which is useful from a parents' perspective. Whether it’s recommending the most kid-friendly restaurants or the best children's parks in Bangalore, we've captured and highlighted information that parents care about and give’s them a clear picture at a glance,” says Sunena. Their website contains that local and personal touch which makes a big difference.

They are currently in talks with certain collateral brands exploring synergies. Currently using wordpress on their website and have made it mobile friendly. “More than 60% of our users are accessing our content on their mobile devices,” says Priyanka. Apart from a content editor and designer on board, they have more than 15 contributors. Their contributors are super mum’s and dad’s that keep the website buzzing with great articles.

They plan to cover the needs of parents in Bangalore in depth and thereafter take it to other major cities in India. Priyanka suggests the future entrepreneurs to ‘Believe in their idea no matter how simple it is.’ “An idea, executed well is what makes a difference,” she says.