The District Women, Child Welfare and Empowerment Officer, K.V. Ramalakshmi, has invited applications for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2026, a national award instituted by the Government of India to recognise exceptional achievements of children.In a statement issued on Wednesday, she said children of Indian origin who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments at the State, National or International level in fields such as social service, technology, education, bravery, environmental protection, sports, arts, music, dance, painting, innovation, skills and leadership are eligible to apply.The applications will be scrutinised by a committee constituted by the Union Government. The selected awardees will receive the honours from the President of India at a special ceremony to be held in New Delhi in January 2027.Applicants must be of Indian origin, residing in India, and below 18 years of age as on July 31, 2026.Applications can be submitted online through the awards portal (awards.gov.in) on or before July 31, 2026. Further details are available on the Visakhapatnam district portal. For additional information, applicants may contact District Child Protection Officer K. Harikrishna on 9949136649.EOM Published - June 03, 2026 09:47 pm IST