Paralakhemundi, Dec, 30: Jyotsna Shabar, a 17-year-old tribal girl from Pekat village, under Marlaba Panchayat, Rayagada block, Gajapati district, has been honored with the Prime Minister’s National Child Award. The award ceremony was held on Friday at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, where she was felicitated by President Draupadi Murmu in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This year, only 21 children from across the country were selected for this prestigious award, and Jyotsna is the only recipient from Odisha and the first from Gajapati district.
Jyotsna has participated and excelled in various national and international competitions in the weightlifting field. Since 2019, she has been regularly training at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar, receiving education alongside weightlifting training at the Kalinga Stadium.
Her success has filled the residents and administration of Gajapati district with pride. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a video of the celebration on social media, and the news has sparked waves of joy across the district.
Being the only girl from Odisha to receive the award and coming from the backward Gajapati district, Jyotsna’s achievement has been celebrated as a symbol of district pride and honor by local leaders including Rupesh Panigrahi, Dr. Tirupati Panigrahi, and Pradeep Nayak.