https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/vivekananda-international-relations-peace-awards-ceremony-highlights/articleshow/111497991.cms

Indians who work spiritedly for ‘world is one’ mantra honoured.
TNN | Jul 5, 2024, 04.15 AM IST
Mumbai: Marking a fresh chapter in the history of amity and
conciliation, the Vivekananda International Relations (VIR) Peace
Awards were presented to outstanding achievers who have done
India proud on the global stage. The awards ceremony was held at
Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Colaba on Thursday evening.
The VIR Peace Awards initiative celebrates individuals who have
contributed significantly to the welfare and progress of people in
other countries. The recognition spans various fields like
agriculture, science and technology, sustainable development
and humanitarian work.
The choice selection of winners was led by industrialist Ratan Tata,
who was honoured with the Lifetime Contribution Award. Tata could not be present in person, but the audience
rose to its feet and applauded as a large screen displayed visuals of him accepting the award from the organisers
who had visited him earlier.
Other recipients have made noteworthy contributions to their own field of activity. Dr Chinmay Pandya won the
VIR Award for Education and Jain Acharya Lokesh Muni for Peace. Acharya Lokesh said, “This award is certainly an
honour but it has increased my responsibility too. This is a recognition of Indian culture, spiritual values and the
Jain principles of Lord Mahavir.”
Humanitarian and philanthropist Mohan ji flew down to Mumbai from London for a day to receive his award at
this ceremony. Dr Gauranga Das was honoured for fighting for the environment, Subhash Kapur for enterprise,
Ravi Pandit for technology, Sundeep Waslekar for being a governance and peace catalyst and noted chef
Hemant Oberoi for his culinary excellence. Environmentalist Elsie Gabriel was the only woman awardee, who
advocated the cause of ocean literacy in school curricula.
The special guest for the evening was Norwegian columnist Dr Asle Toje, deputy leader of the Nobel Committee
and a distinguished scholar in geopolitics. In a lively interaction with Prof Ganapati Yadav, Toje described himself
as a “man of peace in a traditionalist way.” He cautioned listeners of the conflicts of the modern age, saying those
who believed the world would finally settle to peace after the end of the Cold War had been disappointed. He
joked that despite being associated with the Nobel Peace Prize, he was not jealous of any other award —
especially welcoming the “youngest sibling in the peace family,” the VIR Awards!
Toje champions the rise of the global South, particularly India, as the future of innovation and commerce. His
work explores the collapse of western led-systems and the potential of AI and diplomacy to address global
challenges. He has engaged with key figures shaping the nation’s future, focusing on India’s leading role in a
multipolar world, the use of technology for global good and the transformative power of Nobel laureates’ stories.
The award winners and nominees participated in a panel discussion on various peace initiatives with the
recurrent thread of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ featuring in their speeches.
The VIR Awards are presented in association with The Times of India and Govt of Maharashtra and co-sponsored
by Sapience Collective, Norway. The Tarpan Foundation led by MLC Shrikant Bharatiya, which adopts young
orphans who have had to leave orphanages after they turn 18, was a driving force behind the initiative.