New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave tips to young students on capacity building, confidence development and problem solving, during his interaction with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) awardees at his residence.

Modi presented souvenirs to all the awardees and discussed their achievements on a one-to-one basis, which was followed by interaction with the entire group. He engaged in an open-hearted interaction in an informal setting. The children asked him various questions about the challenges they face and sought his guidance on a variety of topics, official sources said.

The Prime Minister suggested to the awardees to start by solving small problems, gradually build capacity, enhance capability and develop confidence to solve bigger problems as they go ahead in life.

Discussing the issue of mental health and problems faced by children, he talked about tackling the stigma around the issue and the important role of family in tackling such issues.

India has been conferring the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awards to children for their exceptional achievement in six categories -- innovation, social service, scholastic, sports, art and culture and bravery. Each awardee is given a medal, a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a certificate.

This year, 11 children from across the country, under different categories of Bal Shakti Puraskar, have been selected for PMRBP-2023. The awardees belonging to 11 states include six boys and five girls.