Gandhi Peace Prize | 19 Jun 2023

Why in News?

Gita Press, Gorakhpur, a 100-year-old institution that publishes Hindu religious texts and promotes Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony, has been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 by the Government of India.

• The prize was announced by the Ministry of Culture.

What is the Gandhi Peace Prize?

• About:
  • Gandhi Peace Prize Awards for Social, Economic and Political transformation through Non-violence was instituted in the year 1995, on the occasion of the 125^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as a tribute to his ideals and contributions to humanity.
• Reward:
  • The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and a traditional handicraft or handloom item.
    • The award is conferred by the President of India at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• Consideration:
  • This award is given to individuals, associations, institutions or organizations who have worked selflessly for peace, non-violence and amelioration of human sufferings.
  • The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
  • The Award may be divided between two persons / institutions who are considered by the Jury to be equally deserving of recognition in a given year.
    • Work by a person since deceased cannot be the subject of an Award. If, however, his death occurred subsequent to a proposal having been submitted to the Jury(headed by the Prime Minister) in the manner stipulated in the Code of Procedure, then a Posthumous Award may be made.
• Previous Awardees:
  • Organizations: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Akshaya Patra, Ekal Abhiyan Trust, Sulabh International
  • Luminaries: Nelson Mandela, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh (2020).

Source: IE