PM nod to Naidu's appointment as nominated member of Gandhi Peace Prize jury: Reddy

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu as a nominated member in the existing jury of the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize, according to Union minister G Kishan Reddy.

The Union culture minister supplied this information in a letter sent by him to Naidu, a copy of which was shared by the ministry officials with the press on Saturday. Prime Minister Modi heads the jury of the prize.

The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by government of India in 1995, on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute to the ideals espoused by the Mahatma. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender. It carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.

In his letter to Naidu, Reddy wrote: "I have the honour, privilege and pleasure in informing you the approval of the Hon'ble Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Jury of Gandhi Peace Prize regarding your appointment as nominated member in the existing Jury for the unexpired period of the term, i.e., up to 15.03.2024." "I shall be grateful, if you could kindly accept this nomination," the Union minister said. The past awardees of this prize include organisations such as ISRO, Ramakrishna Mission, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, and Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru.