Anshu Gupta, Sanjay Chaturvedi: Ramon Magsaysay awardees
Anshu Gupta and Sanjiv Chaturvedi from India are among the winners of Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2015. Anshu Gupta, who heads the NGO Goonj, was chosen for his vision in transforming the culture of giving in India. Bureaucrat Sanjiv Chaturvedi who blew the whistle on the alleged scam at AIIMS was recognized for his exemplary integrity and courage in exposing corruption in public office.
Established in 1957, Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's premier prize that honors outstanding individuals and organizations working in Asia. The award is presented by The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) annually on the birth anniversary of the late Philippines President Ramon Magsaysay. The awardees are presented with a certificate and a medallion with an embossed image of Ramon Magasaysay.
Ramon Magsaysay Award is given in six categories: Government Service; Public Service; Community Leadership; Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication arts; Peace and International Understanding; and Emergent Leadership. The award category for Emergent Leadership was created in 2000 to inspire young people to apply their talents and energies to selfless and innovative service and benefit the people of Asia.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership honours greatness of spirit among men and women forty years old and below.
Of the many Indians (51 till 2012) who won the Magsaysay award, the prominent ones include Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray, Pt. Ravi Shankar, M.S. Subbulakshmi Kiran Bedi, Vinobha Bhave, Arvind Kejriwal, Verghese Kurien, Aruna Roy, Jayaprakash Narayan, etc,. The last Indian to win the award was social worker Kulandei Francis in 2012 for his sustained programs in economically empowering women in rural India.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the list of this year's Magsaysay award winners. Anshu Gupta and Sanjiv Chaturvedi from India, Kyaw Thu from Myanmar, Kommaly Chanthovong from Laos and Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa from Philippines are the winners of the award. The five awardees join the long list of 307 other Magsaysay laureates. The award will be formally conferred on 31 Aug 2015 in Manila.
