New Delhi: The Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 has been conferred to Gita Press, Gorakhpur. The Ministry of Culture said that the Gita Press was awarded the prestigious award for its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
The jury for the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unanimously selected Gita Press, Gorakhpur. The award has a cash prize of Rs.1 crore, citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item, said a report.
Gita Press was established in 1923 and is one of the largest publishers in the world. It has published 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, said a report. It includes 16.21 crore Shrimad Bhagvad Gita. The Gita Press is awarded the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize on its centenary.
However, the Congress has come out against awarding Gita Press saying that the publisher had stormy issues with Mahatma Gandhi. The Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited a book by Akshaya Mukul to back his claim.
Former Gandhi Peace Prize winners include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also institutions like ISRO and Ramakrishna Mission.
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