Important Facts for Prelims (17th January 2019)

• 17 Jan 2019

Gandhi Peace Prize

• The government has announced the Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015,2016,2017 and 2018.
• The following have been honored with the award:
  • Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari for the year 2015 for their contribution in Rural Development, Education, Development of natural resources.
  • For 2016 jointly to Akshaya Patra Foundation for its contribution in providing mid-day meals to millions of children across India and Sulabh International for its contribution in improving the condition of sanitation in India and emancipation of manual scavengers.
  • Ekal Abhiyan Trust for the year 2017 for their contribution in providing Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural Empowerment, Gender, and Social Equality.
  • Shri Yohei Sasakawa for the year 2018 for his contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.
• The Jury of Award
  • The jury includes the Prime Minister as Chairman and comprises of the Chief Justice of India, Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in LokSabha and two other eminent personalities.

Gandhi Peace Prize

• The annual award was instituted by the Government of India in 1995 during the commemoration of the 125th Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The award carries an amount of Rs 1 Crore, a Citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.
• Gandhi Peace Prize is not awarded posthumously.
• The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, creed, race or sex.

Education Institutions Ranking by Times Higher Education

• London Based Times Higher Education has released the ranking of institutions Times Higher Education Emerging Economies.
• The 2019 ranking comprises nearly 450 universities from 43 countries, across four continents.
• India has improved performance with 49 institutions making it to the list including 25 in the top 200.
• Leading India is the Indian Institute of Science (14th), followed by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (27th).
• India has 25 universities in the top 200, a rise from 17 in 2018.
• China remains the most represented nation in the annual 2019 listing, with four institutions among the top five and 72 institutions in total.

Global Risk Report 2019

• World Economic Forum has recently released the Global Risk Report 2019.
• The Global Risks Report 2019 enlists the threats which the world will face in future ranging from geopolitical and geo-economic tensions to environmental degradation and disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• The report presents the results of the Global Risks Perception Survey conducted by the World Economic Forum.

Findings of the Report

• The report has predicted the following major risks under five categories:
  • Economic
    • Asset bubbles in a major economy
  • Environmental
    • Extreme weather events
    • Failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation
    • Natural disasters
    • Man-made environmental disasters
    • Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse
    • Failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Geo-Political
    • Weapons of mass destruction
  • Societal
    • Large-scale involuntary migration
    • Water crises
    • A spread of infectious diseases
  • Technological
    • Data fraud or theft
    • Cyber-attacks
    • Critical information infrastructure breakdown