Context:
The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur. The prize was announced by the Ministry of Culture.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Gandhi Peace Prize
- Previous Awardees
- Key facts about Gita Press
About Gandhi Peace Prize
The Gandhi Peace Prize is an esteemed award instituted in 1995 to honor individuals, associations, institutions, or organizations that have made significant contributions to social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence. Here are some key points about the Gandhi Peace Prize:
- Establishment: The award was established in 1995 on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 125th birth anniversary to pay tribute to his ideals and humanitarian contributions.
- Recognition: Recipients of the Gandhi Peace Prize are honored with a citation, a plaque, a traditional handicraft or handloom item, and a monetary prize of Rs 1 crore.
- Conferment: The President of India presents the award during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President.
- Eligibility: The award is open to individuals, associations, institutions, or organizations irrespective of nationality, race, language, caste, creed, or gender.
- Joint Recipients: The jury, headed by the Prime Minister, has the discretion to divide the award equally between two recipients or institutions if they are deemed equally deserving in a given year.
- Posthumous Award: The award cannot be conferred posthumously, except in cases where a proposal had been submitted to the jury before the nominee’s demise as per the stipulated Code of Procedure.
Previous Awardees:
- Notable recipients of the Gandhi Peace Prize include renowned organizations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Akshaya Patra, Ekal Abhiyan Trust, and Sulabh International.
- Distinguished luminaries like Nelson Mandela and Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh (2020) have also received the award.
Key facts about Gita Press:
- Establishment: Gita Press was established in 1923.
- Prominent Publisher: It is recognized as one of the world’s largest publishers.
- Extensive Book Publications: Gita Press has published a staggering number of books, with a total of 41.7 crore books in 14 languages.
- Emphasis on Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Among its publications, Gita Press has published 16.21 crore copies of the sacred text Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
- Contribution to Social Transformation: Gita Press has made significant contributions towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violent and Gandhian methods.
- Recognition: The organization has received recognition and appreciation for its outstanding contribution in these areas.
-Source: Indian Express
