Neelam Rani, Sarita Tyagi, Sunita Devi Singhdoya, Swati Tyagi and Sushma Rani, recipients of the National Bravery Award 2003. Neelam is a nominee for the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2004

Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2004 is honouring extraordinary youngsters from all over the country in a celebration of their talents. Here is a list of the 15 little geniuses and prodigies, in five different categories. The winners will be chosen by a jury and announced at a special event in Mumbai on December 18. Watch the show on Pogo, on December 24, at 7.30 pm.

Brains

Shubham Prakhar, 12, Muzaffarpur: Recognised as possessing amazing talent at age 10, at the All India Children?s Excellence search examination, 2002, organised by Children?s Education & Excellence Promotion Trust Of India.

Came first in academic tests and exams like those organised by the Department Of Post, Government of India, and People United for Serving Humanity. Winner of the TV show India?s Child Genius.

Dhruva and Waiga Arya, 6, Faridabad:The twins created history enters the Limca Book of Records 2003 by memorising Panini?s Ashtadhyayi at the age of three years, eight months and 20 days, simply by listening and with no alphabetical knowledge.The Sanskrit scholar?s grammar book contains about 4,000 rules (sutras and shlokas).

Pavan S. Bhardwaj, 12, Bangalore: Merit certificates for outstanding scholastic performances apart, he has a distinction in maths from the University of New South Wales Examinations. Also a junior first class in the Akhila Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya music exam.

Sports

Kavya Gupta, 4, Allahabad: Swam 2.55 km in the Ganges when she was two years and two months old. In the Limca Book of Records.

Viraat Badhwar, 9, Delhi: Youngest golfer to have done a hole in one and rated as the number one golfer in India. Has a place in the Limca Book of Records for being the Youngest Indian Golfer to win a World Championship.

Tejesh Parsekar, 14, Vashi: Swam 36 km from Gateway of India to Dharamtar in 10 hours and 30 minutes at the age of seven-and-a-half. Swam 81 km from Behrampore to Gorabazar, West Bengal, over a period of four years, in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

Also represented India in the Challenger Swimming Competition, Switzerland, for two years.

Arts

Mayank Sahu, 8, Nagpur: He can recognise any combination of notations (swara, like sa, re, ga, ma), on any musical instrument, without looking, and then replicate it on his keyboard.

Commended by renowned musicians like Pandit Jasraj, Zakir Hussain, Pankaj Udhas and Adesh Srivastava for his talent.

Asmita Kala, 13, Jaipur: Performs the traditional Bhavai dance with 111 pots on her head.

Can also effortlessly dance on broken glass, nails and swords and can pick up a kerchief from the floor with her mouth while balancing 111 pots on her head. Rotates 1,001 times during her dance performances.

Abhay Goyle, 12, Gurgaon: An accomplished pianist with several solo performances to his credit. Performed at India Habitat Centre (April 2002), India International Centre (April 2002) and at the Siri Fort auditorium (July 2002) before an audience of 1,000.

Awarded for outstanding performance by Theme Piano School for the year 2002-03.

Fun

Ramya and Ramita Iyer, eight and 11, Bangalore: The sisters are the youngest tandem bungee jumpers in India.

Vipul Mhatre, 8, Diva, Maharashtra: Plays tunes on his keyboard ? with his head. Has been recognised by the Limca Book of Records 2004. Performs with his musician father?s orchestra and is also a part of the Kalyanji Anandji troupe.

Vakhariya Ninad, 10, Belgaum: Did cartwheel walking for five km in one hour and 15 minutes at age six. Also completed a cycling expedition from Bangalore to Nipani (more than 650 km), in five days, from June 8 to 13 this year.

Leadership

Neelam Rani, 10, Harisinghpura: The Class VI student from Haryana, along with four classmates ? Sarita, Sunita, Shushma and Swati ? saved two minor girls from being forcibly married off to middle-aged men.

They also registered a case at the local police station. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee awarded Neelam and her friends medals for bravery last year.

Chandra Sekar, 14, Tirunelveli Junction, Tamil Nadu: At age 10, the computer prodigy became the world?s youngest Microsoft certified systems engineer CISCO certified network associate.

At 11, Chandra was appointed an honorary director at TIFAC ? core (technology information forecasting and assessment council ? centre of relevance and excellence).

Ajay Kumar, 12, Rajasthan: The rescued child labourer is now head of the National Bal Mitra Mahapanchayat executive committee.

Started a school enrolment drive in Ramchandranagar. A school was made with the money collected by the villagers, in April 2002. The government, under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, has adopted the school.

Ajay also took the initiative to start a campaign against liquor in his village. Submitted a memorandum to sub-Inspector Fatuha. Action was taken based on it.

 

Ode to a Friend

• She was a friend. She favoured anonymity, but was amiable to me. I first met her in Class IX. She was sitting solitary, in the darkest corner of the classroom. At first I thought her to be a hypocrite. Maybe others abandoned her for the same reason. After knowing her, I realised that my first impression was wrong.

Gusto gone

• She lacked gusto, but was genial. She lost her mother in Class VII and lived in joint family. Her father had a marriage of convenience with her aunt. She had to do the household chores look after her eight brothers and sisters. Her life was a misery under the influence of her conventional and over-possessive father.

• She was not always so lackadaisical. Once upon a time, she had the gusto to make things happen. She loved life. That year, she failed in class.

Lament loss

• She continued with her studies and passed out with 60 per cent in her ICSE exams. This thrilled me. My excitement evaporated when I received her marriage invitation. None of her friends but me attended the reception. We lamented our separation. I thought this was the end of our friendship. But no. On friendship day, she called.

• She told me that her husband was a nice man and he loved her. I was very happy. On a special occasion, she visited her maternal home. I went to see her. And found out that she had cancer. I can't put my feelings into words.

Sunset

• Life was like a turbulent sea. She did not lose hope, but her strength her faded. Doctors said she would survive for quite a few years, maybe she would recover. Whoever imagined that a small swelling in her leg could cause such a disease.

• After the first chemotherapy session, she began to lose clumps of hair and her beauty vanished, giving her skin a coal-black hue. Some old friends and I celebrated her 18th birthday with pomp and show. A week later, she melted into thin air. Clouds had covered the sunshine.

Upasana Mallick, Class XII, St Thomas Church School, Howrah