Gangtok lad selected for his second national bravery award

12-YEAR-OLD BIVEK SHARMA TO RECEIVE JEEVAN RAKSHA PADAK AWARD 2011 
GANGTOK, 06 Jan: Bivek Sharma, a Class VIII student of Prashanti Vidya Mandir [Sichey] who had saved the life of a seven-year-old autistic girl, Sai Priya on 15 June when she lost balance and fell from the window of a two-storeyed building at Development Area will be awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padak award 2011. Bivek is amongst the thirty five names approved by the President of India for conferment of the award. This, incidentally, will be the second national bravery award for the lad. He had been feted with a National Bravery Award on 22 January 2011 by the Prime Minister of India.
On 15 June, Bivek, son of Bhakti and Bhumika Prasad Sharma was going to a shop when he spotted Sai Priya hanging precariously from the window almost 17 feet above the ground. The 7-year-old was not aware of the danger she was in and despite warnings from people around she fell from the window but was saved by Bivek who was passing by.
The 12-year-old boy’s brave act was written about in many local newspapers following which the East district authorities and the Sikkim State Council for Child Welfare submitted his name for the National Bravery Award to the state government.
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of humane nature in saving the life of a person.  The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak, and Jeevan Raksha Padak.  Persons of either sex in all walks of life are eligible for these awards.  The award can also be conferred posthumously.
The decoration of the award (medal, certificate signed by the Home Minister and demand draft for lump sum monetary allowance) is presented to the awardee in due course by the respective State Government to which the awardee belongs.  The lump sum monetary allowance is given at the rate of Rs. 75,000, Rs. 45,000 and Rs. 30,000 to the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak awardee respectively.