Meet the winners of the prestigious awards, given away in Manila.
Indian non-profit 'Educate Girls' wins the Ramon Magsaysay Award for its work in educating out-of-school girls in remote villages. The award recognizes selfless service to the peoples of Asia.
Water conservationist Rajendra Singh blames corruption and faulty infrastructure for the contaminated water crisis in Indore, which led to multiple deaths. He criticizes the city's reliance on the Narmada River and the lack of responsible water management.
Kumar was among five individuals who were declared winners of the award, which is Asia's premier prize and highest honour and celebrates greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia.
The two are among six individuals declared winners on Thursday.
The winners of the Ramon Magsaysay 2009 awards applaud during the awarding ceremony at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines in Manila on August 31.
Apart from the two Indians, four others have been selected for the award -- Conchita Carpio-Morales of the Philippines, Dompet Dhuafa of Indonesia, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and 'Vientiane Rescue' of Laos
Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation president Susanna B Afan and foundation trustee Emily A Abrera met with the Dalai Lama, the Nobel Peace laureate, to personally present the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award after 64 years.
A new book by former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi claims that former chief election commissioner T N Seshan proposed an immediate halt to the general election process after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991 and even offered to become home minister. Gandhi, who was joint secretary to then president R Venkatraman, writes that Seshan was the one who broke the news of the assassination to the president and arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhawan "super-fast" that night. According to Gandhi's account, Seshan told Venkatraman that he felt the election process needed to be stopped and that he was ready to take on the role of home minister if necessary. However, Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra assured the president that the situation was under control and that there was no need to pause the election process. Seshan's suggestions were ultimately ignored, but he did manage to postpone the second and third phases of polling.
Life has come full circle for Nobel laureate Professor Mohammad Yunus, who faced persecution during Sheikh Hasina's regime for embezzlement, is now all set to head of the interim government in Bangladesh after she resigned and fled the country.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday said he and his supporters will stay put at the Ladakh Bhawan till the authorities tell them when they will be able to meet the country's top leadership.
Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and former Kerala health minister K K Shailaja has declined to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award as it was instituted in the name of late President of the Philippines, who was known allegedly for his brutality against the Communists.
'Your activities are not in the interest of the nation. Being a public institution, TISS cannot permit or tolerate its students indulging in such activities which are anti-national and bring a bad name to the nation. Hence all such activities fall under the category of serious criminal offence'
In electing Kumar to receive the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award, the board of trustees recognises his unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical journalism of the highest standards; his moral courage in standing up for truth, integrity, and independence; and his principled belief that it is in giving full and respectful voice to the voiceless, in speaking truth bravely yet soberly to power, that journalism fulfills its noblest aims to advance democracy, the award citation said.
'If the BJP does not change its stand, we will hope that those who are in favour of protecting Ladakh come to power.'
Sonam Wangchuk, a key campaigner for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, on Monday said they would launch a fast unto death from February 19 to press their demands and that details of participation of local residents in the agitation were being worked out.
Rediff.com takes a look at all the Ramon Magsaysay awardees who have made India proud since 1958.
Prakash Amte, son of well-known social activist Baba Amte and his Mandakini Amte have been awarded the 2008 Ramon Magasaysau Award for community leadership.
Police have detained social activist Sandeep Pandey and three others ahead of a foot march planned on Monday to express solidarity with Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven of her family members murdered during the 2002 Gujarat riots, police said.
"As I was working on agriculture, my family wanted me to take over the management of our plantations. But my aim was to master the art of developing new varieties, that is genetics and breeding. As the proverb has it, we reap what we sow. Consequently, sowing the right things is very important," M S Swaminathan had once said.
Yet another effort has been made by the state government for a scientific study with the help of satellite imagery of the crisis in the sinking town, Bhatt, who is associated with the Chipko Movement, said.
'This award is funded by American money so I took this decision.'
Renowned agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan and the driving force behind the nation's 'Green Revolution,' passed away in Chennai on Thursday.
Nileema Mishra, who works with the poorest villagers in Maharashtra, and United States-trained Indian engineer Harish Hande, who revolutionised the use of solar lights, are among five people who have been honoured with this year's prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. "The two had helped to harness technologies to empower their countrymen and created waves of progressive change across Asia," award foundation president Carmencita T Abella announced.
Anushu Gupta is being recognised for "his creative vision in transforming the culture of giving" in India and Sanjiv Chaturvedi for 'Emergent Leadership'
As an NGO, IVDP has facilitated loans totalling Rs 2,406 crore.
In Arvind Kejriwal, you will meet an unassuming fighter with a focused social objective -- rooting out corruption and introducing better governance.
Joshi is being recognised for 'his vision and leadership in bringing professionalism to the NGO movement in India, by effectively combining 'head' and 'heart' in the transformative development of rural communities', the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said in a press statement from its headquarters in Manila.
Born in Chennai in 1957, Sainath completed a master's degree in history before turning to a life of journalism. At Blitz, a Mumbai tabloid, he rose to be deputy chief editor and became a popular columnist. In 1993, he changed course.
The 2009 Magsaysay Award winner explains why he thinks the NREGA is critical.
Renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Pramod Karan Sethi, whose invention of artificial limb 'Jaipur foot' was a durable hero of medicine in helping lakhs of amputees around the world lead a normal life again, died of cardiac arrest in Jaipur on Sunday.
Daisaku Ikeda is the president of Soka Gakkai International, a global Buddhist movement.
Arvind Kejriwal is the founder of Delhi-based organisation Parivartan
The prime minister arrived at the Ruby Hall Clinic, where Shourie is admitted, around 6 pm, hospital sources said.
"As of now there is no abnormality due to the injury," Dr Gandhi added.
The 70-year-old L Ramdas bagged the award for peace and international understanding.
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