Gandhi Peace Prize

For the award presented by the US peace education organisation Promoting Enduring Peace, see Gandhi Peace Award. For the award presented by the London-based Gandhi Foundation, see Gandhi International Peace Award.
Gandhi Peace Prize
Awarded for Contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods
Sponsored by Government of India
Presented by Government of India Edit this on Wikidata
Reward(s) ₹ 1 Crore (10 million)
First awarded 1995
Last awarded 2023
Highlights
Total awarded 20
Latest winner Gita Press

The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India.

As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi, the Government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi. This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. The award carries ₹1 crore (equivalent to ₹1.2 crore or US$150,000 in 2023) in cash, convertible in any currency in the world, a plaque and a citation. It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed or gender.

A jury consisting of the Prime Minister of India, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and two other eminent person appointed every 3years eligible for reappointment decides the awardee each year.

Ordinarily, only proposals coming from competent persons invited to nominate are considered. However, a proposal is not taken as invalid for consideration by the jury merely on the ground of not having emanated from competent persons. If it is considered that none of the proposals merit recognition, the jury is free to withhold the award for that year; the award was withheld in the years from 2006 to 2012 inclusive. Only achievements within 10 years immediately preceding the nomination are considered for the award; an older work may, however, be considered if its significance has not become apparent until recently. A written work, to be eligible for consideration, should have been published.

Recipients

Indicates a joint award for that year
Sl no Year Recipient Image Birth / death Country Description
1 1995 Julius Nyerere 1922–1999 Tanzania Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian politician who served as the leader of Tanzania, and previously Tanganyika, from 1960 until his retirement in 1985.
2 1996 A. T. Ariyaratne b. 1931 Sri Lanka Founder of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
3 1997 Gerhard Fischer 1921–2006 Germany German diplomat, recognised for his work against leprosy and polio
4 1998 Ramakrishna Mission est. 1897 India Founded by Swami Vivekananda for promoting social welfare, tolerance, and non-violence among disadvantaged groups
5 1999 Baba Amte 1914–2008 India Social worker, known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy
6 2000 Nelson Mandela 1918–2013 South Africa Former President of South Africa
Grameen Bank est. 1983 Bangladesh Founded by Muhammad Yunus
7 2001 John Hume 1937–2020 Ireland Northern Irish Politician and major figure in the Northern Ireland peace process
8 2002 Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan est. 1938 India Educational trust that emphasises Indian culture
9 2003 Václav Havel 1936–2011 Czech Republic Last President of Czechoslovakia and first President of the Czech Republic
10 2004 Coretta Scott King 1927–2006 United States Activist and civil rights leader.
11 2005 Desmond Tutu 1931–2021 South Africa South African cleric and activist.He was South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid.
12 2013 Chandi Prasad Bhatt b. 1934 India Environmentalist, social activist and pioneer of the Chipko movement. Founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS)
13 2014 ISRO est. 1969 India Space agency of the Indian Govt. Objective is to advance space technology and deliver the applications of it
14 2015 Vivekananda Kendra est. 1972 India A Hindu spiritual organisation based on the principles preached by Swami Vivekananda
15 2016 Akshaya Patra Foundation est.2000 India A non-profit organisation in India that runs school lunch programme across India
Sulabh International est. 1970 India A social service organization that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education.
16 2017 Ekal Abhiyan Trust est. 1986 India Contribution in providing Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural Empowerment, Gender and Social Equality.
17 2018 Yōhei Sasakawa b. 1939 Japan For his contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.
18 2019 Qaboos bin Said Al Said 1940–2020 Oman For contributions for social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
19 2020 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 1920–1975 Bangladesh For his contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
20 2021 Gita Press est. 1923 India For outstanding contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

See also