Gandhi Peace Prize

Context: The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur, one of the largest publishers of religious texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and the Upanishads.

• The decision to confer the award on Gita Press was taken by a jury headed by Prime Minister.

About Gandhi Peace Prize:

• The annual Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. 
• It is an annual award as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.
• The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
• The award carries an amount of ₹1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite handicraft or handloom item.
• Previous awardees: Indian Space Research Organisation, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari and Sulabh International, environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt, social worker Baba Amte.
• Foreigner awardees: Former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh.

Additional Information: Gita Press: It is one of the world’s largest publishers, having published 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, including 16.21 crore Bhagavad Gita. It completes 100 years of its establishment in 2023.  As per the Ministry of Culture, the institution has never relied on advertisement in its publications, for revenue generation. Gita Press along with its affiliated organizations, strives for the betterment of life and the well­being of all.

 News Source: The Hindu