Gandhi Peace Prize

• Gita Press, Gorakhpur has been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 by the Government of India.
• The prize was announced by the Ministry of Culture.

ABOUT GANDHI PEACE PRIZE

• Gandhi Peace Prize Awards for Social, Economic and Political transformation through Non-violence was instituted in the year 1995, on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as a tribute to his ideals and contributions to humanity.
• Award carries a cash prize of ₹1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/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.
• It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
• The Award may be divided between two persons / institutions.
• 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.
• Recent awardees include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020),
  • Among Organizations: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ramakrishna Mission, Vivekananda Kendra, Akshaya Patra, Sulabh.

ABOUT GITA PRESS

• Jaya Dayal Goyandka and Hanuman Prasad Poddar established the Gita press in 1923.
• Gita Press is one of the world’s largest publishers of Hindu religious texts, having published 7 crore books in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore copies of Shrimad Bhagvad Gita.
• Gita Press also runs a monthly magazine called Kalyan, which covers topics such as spirituality, culture, history, ethics and morality.
• It also runs a charitable hospital called Kalyan Chikitsalaya in Gorakhpur, which provides free medical services to the poor and needy.