7-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika Receives Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025

7-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika Receives Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 Seven-year-old chess prodigy Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika from Surat was awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 for her historic Under-7 world chess title. Seven-year-old chess prodigy Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika from Surat, Gujarat, was conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 at a ceremony held in New Delhi on December 26. The award was presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, in recognition of her exceptional achievements in the field of sports. Recommended Stories Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika brought international recognition to India by winning the Under-7 Girls title at the 2025 FIDE World Schools Chess Championship in Serbia, where she scored a perfect 9 out of 9 points. This feat is considered historic, as it marks the first time a player has achieved a flawless score at the World Schools Chess Championship. Apart from her world title, Pragnika is a multiple-time Gujarat State Champion and a national-level medallist. Her achievements include winning Gujarat Under-7 Gold, the Gujarat Under-9 Championship, and a bronze medal at the National Schools Chess Championship. Congratulating the award recipients, President Droupadi Murmu said, “The award winning children have brought pride to their families, their communities, and the entire country." She added that the awards have been presented to encourage young achievers and expressed confidence that they would inspire children across India. Speaking on the occasion, the President also recalled examples of courage and sacrifice from history. She said, “About 320 years ago, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru of the Sikh faith and revered by all Indians, and his four sons made supreme sacrifices while fighting in support of truth and justice." She further remembered the bravery of the younger Sahibzadas and paid tribute to child heroes who laid down their lives for truth and justice. ALSO READ: IIM Raipur To Lead Joint Admission Process 2026 For Four IIMs The ceremony was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where Pragnika also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is awarded to select children across the country for outstanding achievements in Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Sports, Art and Culture, and Science and Technology. Pragnika’s father, Vaka Ramanadh, is a GST officer posted in Surat. Her achievement has been widely celebrated as a proud moment for Surat and Gujarat, as only a limited number of children from across the country are honoured with this prestigious national award each year. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Follow News18 on Google . Join the fun, play games on News18 . Stay updated with the latest education! Get real-time updates on board exam results 2025 , entrance exams such as JEE Mains , Advanced , NEET , and more. Find out top schools, colleges, courses and more. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated. News education-career 7-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika Receives Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Preview: ~499 words