Gita Press, Gorakhpur to Receive Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for Promoting Gandhian Ideals
New Delhi, June 18 – The prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021 will be conferred upon Gita Press, Gorakhpur, as announced by the jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The hundred-year-old institution has been recognized for its significant contribution in promoting the Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony.
The Gandhi Peace Prize, instituted by the Government of India in 1995 on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 125th Birth Anniversary, pays homage to his principles and is open to individuals of all nationalities, races, languages, castes, creeds, and genders.
The award carries a prize amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque, and an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.
Previous recipients of the Gandhi Peace Prize include renowned organizations like ISRO, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru, Ekal Abhiyan Trust, India, and Sulabh International, New Delhi. It has also been bestowed upon prominent personalities such as Dr. Nelson Mandela, Dr. Julius Nyerere, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Dr. Gerhard Fischer, Baba Amte, Dr. John Hume, Mr. Vaclav Havel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt, and Shri Yohei Sasakawa.
Recent recipients of the award include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said of Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh (2020).
The jury, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unanimously selected Gita Press, Gorakhpur, on June 18, 2023, in recognition of its exceptional contribution to social, economic, and political transformation through non-violent and Gandhian methods.
Established in 1923, Gita Press is globally recognized as one of the largest publishers, having published 417 million books in 14 languages, including 162.1 million copies of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. The institution has never relied on advertising for revenue generation. Alongside its affiliated organizations, Gita Press strives for the betterment and well-being of all.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the role of Gita Press in promoting Gandhian ideals of peace and social harmony. He acknowledged that conferring the Gandhi Peace Prize on Gita Press, as the institution completes a century since its establishment, is a testament to its dedicated community service.
The Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 recognizes the remarkable and unparalleled contribution of Gita Press towards the collective upliftment of humanity, embodying the essence of Gandhian living.
