President conferred Gandhi Peace Prize on ISRO

President Pranab Mukherjee on 9 September 2015 conferred Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2014 on Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The award was conferred at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On behalf of the organisation the award was received by ISRO’s Chairman AS Kiran Kumar. It was awarded for its contribution in development of space technology and satellite-based services like launch of Manglayan, PSLV, and others.

ISRO was chosen for the prestigious award on 27 March 2015 by a jury headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

About the Gandhi Peace Prize
The Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in the year 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This annual award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

The award carries an amount of one crore rupees, a citation and a Plaque. The Award for every year is selected by a Jury under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
Gandhian environmentalist and social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the founder of Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeshwar in 1964, which later became a mother organisation to the Chipko movement, was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2013.

Previous recipients of the award includes
• Julius K Nyerere, former Tanzanian President (he was the first recipient of the award in 1995)
• Nelson Mandela, former South African President
• AT Ariyaratne, founder President of Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka
• Gerhard Fischer of Rama Krishna Mission in Germany and
• Baba Amte (Murlidhar Devidas Amte), a social worker of India who is known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu, cleric and activist of South Africa (received the award in 2005)

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