Context

Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi has been conferred with the Seoul Peace Prize, 2018.

About

Why Mr. Modi?

The Award Committee of Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation has awarded him recognizing his efforts in:

• Contribution to the growth of the Indian and global economies through the vision of ‘Modinomics’.
• Accelerating the human development of the people of India by fostering economic growth and the targeted intervention through flagship schemes.
• Initiatives to make the government cleaner through anti-corruption measures and demonetization.
• Contribution towards regional and global peace through a proactive foreign policy with countries around the world under the ‘Modi Doctrine’ and the ‘Act East Policy’.

Other important awards conferred on Modi in the recent past

• Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour ‘King Abdulaziz Sash’ by King Salman bin Abdulaziz in 2016.
• Afghanistan’s highest civilian honour of Amir Amanullah Khan Award in 2016.
• The 'Grand Collar of the State of Palestine' in 2018 by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, recognising his contributions in promoting relations between India and Palestine.
• UN Champions of the Earth Award 2018, the highest environmental honour of the United Nations.
  
  

  Seoul Peace Prize It was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul in l988, which heralded the end of age-old political and ideological conflicts between the East and the West. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, giving the Seoul Games the distinction of being the last Cold War Olympics. It was established to crystallize the Korean people's yearning for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of the world. Award given to: Individual(s) or institution(s) that made great contributions to the harmony of mankind and world peace in each field of endeavor around the world regardless of nation, race, religion, or ideology. Area: Peace Awarded: Biennial Prize: Diploma and plaque, along with honorarium of US$200,000 Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation It was established as the juridical foundation on June 3, 1992 with the aim of contributing to the attainment of a true world peace for mankind by awarding the Seoul Peace Prize. The foundation recognizes those who made great contributions to the harmony of mankind, the reconciliation between nations and the world peace on the basis of the ideals of the 24th Seoul Olympic Games held in Seoul, Korea in 1988 in an atmosphere of friendship and harmony of the peoples around the world. Some of the important recipient of the award in the past Mr. Modi is the fourteenth recipient of this award. Past laureates include distinguished global personalities like former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and renowned international relief organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam.

Significance

Significance of the Award

• The award serves as an occasion to confirm the possibility of achieving world peace through mutual understanding and cooperation by recognising the contribution of world leaders and organisations , who through their individual acts or at organisational level try to bring peace and prosperity to the mankind.
• The Seoul Peace Prize was established to reflect the wishes of the people and to crystallize their desire for ever-lasting peace on earth.
• The idea was to end the divide between the East and the West as well as between North and South Korea.
• In spite of this, the Korean Peninsula is still divided and remains the last vestige of the Cold War. This makes the Seoul Peace Prize all the more significant.

Significance for India

• Conferring the award on Indian Prime Minister is the recognition of India’s growing stature at the international level. It will give credence to India’s growing international presence on issues such as world peace, anti-terrorism, climate change, natural disasters and geostrategic issues.
• At individual level, the award will boost the confidence of the Mr. Modi to pursue his foreign and domestic policy more vigorously. He has also received UN’s Champions of Earth Award for his contribution towards creation of International Solar Alliance, as an alliance to harness solar energy so as to mitigate climate change.