Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024: How AI is bringing India’s young achievers to the fore

Authored by: Tanushree Dutta

Every year, the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) seeks to honor young Indians who achieve extraordinary milestones in fields ranging from innovation to sports. Yet, for many deserving children, particularly in underserved and remote communities, the path to recognition remains elusive. Lack of awareness, connectivity, or access often means their achievements are not sufficiently highlighted.

What is PMRBP?

The PMRBP is India’s highest civilian honor for young citizens aged 5 to 18. It recognizes accomplishments in domains such as bravery, art and culture, science and technology, and environmental conservation. The award is application-based, ensuring that young achievers from all walks of life can be considered.

Turning Data Into Impact

In 2023, Wadhwani AI deployed a web-crawling system to identify children who could potentially be eligible for PMRBP. The next year, we introduced an AI-powered pipeline that automated the search for young talent and streamlined candidate identification. This led to the analysis of over 40 million news articles, curating a list of 4,800 children with exceptional achievements. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) subsequently contacted these potential candidates, providing support for application submissions.

The results were profound. Over 500 children applied for the award, and over 50 of them advanced to the final selection stage. Among the 17 children ultimately honored with the PMRBP in 2024, four were identified by the AI-enabled pipeline.?

The incredible stories of the awardees emphasize the power of this initiative. A young weightlifter from Odisha, a nine-year-old mountaineering prodigy from Punjab, a? teenage artistic skater from Andhra Pradesh, and a Sufi prodigy from Kashmir were the prodigies identified by AI. These children—diverse in geography and talent—are emblematic of India’s potential when opportunity meets access.

A Model for Inclusive Impact

The PMRBP effort is a testament to how technology, when applied thoughtfully, can dismantle barriers and amplify human potential. It’s a case study of what happens when systems are redesigned to be more inclusive, reaching those who need them most.

As India celebrates the achievements of its young heroes, including those identified through this initiative, the effort serves as a reminder of the power of partnerships between innovation and empathy. Recognition, after all, should not be a privilege—it should be a possibility for every child with a story worth telling.