Three students from Devamatha CMI Public School, Thrissur, who excelled in extra-curricular activities, have received President’s awards.
World chess champion Nihal Sarin, pianist Milen Manoj Earath, and artist Anujath Sindhu Vinaylal received the 2016 National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement from President Pranab Mukherjee at function in New Delhi on Children’s Day.
The award, instituted by the Ministry of Woman and Child Welfare, carries a purse of Rs.10,000, books worth Rs.3,000, silver medal, certificate, and a memento.
The students have drawn attention in the international level in their respective fields.
Nihal Sarin, a Class VII student, is currently the highest-rated International FIDE (World Chess Federation) player in his age category in India.
He was awarded the Candidate Master (CM) title in 2014 and FIDE Master (FM) title in 2015 by the FIDE. In Idukki in 2015, at the age of 10, he played against 112 players simultaneously and won all matches.
Some of his international titles include world Under 10 classic open champion (September 2014, Durban, South Africa); world Under 12 Classic Open runner-up during events (November 2015, Halkidiki, Greece); world Under 10 blitz chess champion (December 2013, Al Ain, UAE); Asian under 10 rapid chess champion (June 2014, Tashkent, Uzbekistan); and Asian under 10 blitz chess champion (June 2014, Tashkent, Uzbekistan).
Anujath Sindhu Vinaylal, a Class VI student, has won many awards in painting and acting. While in Class IV, he won the first Clint Memorial International Award instituted by the Tourism Department. Children from 40 countries had participated in the competition.
The United Nations honoured Anujath for his painting at the international competition held for children from countries in Asia-Pacific Region based on the theme ‘We have the Power’ in 2015. He was the best outstanding artist of the year for 2013 in Asia’s biggest children’s painting competition jointly conducted by the Kerala Disaster Management Authority, YMCAs, and Balarama.
He exhibited paintings at the ‘Art for Mehac’ exhibition at India International Centre, New Delhi, in 2015 along with India’s master artists. He won the India-Africa Forum Summit 2015 national award from the Minister of External Affairs.
A child actor, Anujath has won the Bharat P.J. Antony National Award, best child actor award in the national documentary-short film festival, and the Kerala State special jury award for his performance in the 12-minute short film Maramachchan .
Milen Manoj Earath, a Class X student, is the youngest Indian student to compete (postgraduate) FTCL in Pianoforte of Trinity College, London. The time of four and half years taken by Milen to completed all 8 grades, ATCL, LTCL and FTCL diplomas in Pianoforte of Trinity College, London, is the fastest for an Indian. He is also the youngest in India to complete ATCL, LTCL and Fellowship of Trinity College.
Milen was the winner of Musiquest 2013, a national piano competition. He received a scholarship for summer camp at International Institute for Young Musicians, Kansas, USA. He conducted piano recitals at Duren, Germany (2014); at Munster University (2015); Schumannhaus, Bonn, Duren, and Aachen (2015); Schloss Burgau in Germany (2016) and Kolchugino, Russia (2016).
Congratulating the students for their achievements, Devamatha CMI Public School Principal Shaju Edamana said he and his school were feeling proud as three of the five students, who won President’s award this year from Kerala, were from their school.
