Akshaya Patra, Sulabh bag Gandhi Peace Prize

The Akshaya Patra Foundation and the Sulabh International have jointly bagged the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2016 with the Union government on Wednesday announcing the prestigious awards for the last four consecutive years since 2015.

While the coveted prize was conferred on the Akshaya Patra Foundation for its contribution in providing midday meals “to millions of children” across India, the Sulabh International bagged the prize for its contribution in improving the condition of sanitation in India and "emancipation" of manual scavengers, the culture ministry said in a statement.

The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.

The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2018 went to Yohei Sasakawa, who is chairman of the Nippon Foundation, the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, and Japan's ambassador for the human rights of people affected by leprosy, for his contribution in leprosy eradication in India and across the world.

Ekal Abhiyan Trust bagged the coveted prize for the year 2017 for its contribution in providing education for rural and tribal children in remote areas of India, rural empowerment, gender and social equality.

For the year 2015, the prize went to the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, for its contribution in rural development, education and development of natural resources.

The annual award, instituted by the government in 1995 during the commemoration of 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, was due to be announced since 2015.

“The jury, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comprising the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Leader of the single largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge and the Member of Parliament L K Advani unanimously decided to select the recipients of the award after detailed discussions on Wednesday in recognition to their outstanding contributions in the respective fields,” the ministry added.