Right Livelihood Award - UPSC Notes

The Right Livelihood Award is a special international award given to individuals to “honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today.” So, this award is one of the most honorary and prestigious awards to be bestowed upon a person. The validity and vitality of this prize are greatly associated with the Nobel Prize. 

The Nobel Prize is awarded for outstanding work in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace, physiology or medicine and economics. Questions on Nobel Laureates and Prizes forms an important part of the current affairs and general awareness section for competitive exams. 

UPSC aspirants must also familiarize themselves with the List of Awards in India, given in various spheres of life, at the linked article. 

What is the Right Livelihood Award? 

The Right Livelihood Award was first launched in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, a German-Swedish philanthropist. This association and the overarching cause and ethos of the award make it so crucial. In the context of India, this award plays a massive role as it sheds light on issues surrounding environmental health, human rights, health and education, peace and sustainable developments. These four fields are considered the most vital in the sustenance and growth of societies. 

The award ceremonies are held in Sweden in December. Although it is often associated with the Nobel Prize, it is not tied to any of the public organizations related to the Nobel Prize, such as the Nobel Foundation. While preparing the topic as per the UPSC syllabus, aspirants are advised to learn these facts too. 

The Right Livelihood Award is often viewed as a critique of the Nobel Prizes, especially with regard to its fields of awards. While the Nobel Prizes are often associated with broad, general fields such as Science, Economics, Art, Humanitarianism and Peace, it does not honour individuals excelling in the formerly mentioned fields of sustainable development, human rights, etc. Therefore, this award has an even more complex pathos and sense of honouring than the Nobel Prizes. 

Other important awards in India are as follows:

Right Livelihood Award 2020 

The 2020 Right Livelihood Award was conducted in its usual pattern in the month of December. It honoured four distinct individuals for their contribution in the four formerly mentioned fields. These four laureates include Nasrin Sotoudeh from Iran, Bryan Stevenson from the United States, Lottie Cunningham Wren from Nicaragua and Ales Bialiatski from Belarus. 

The UPSC Exam generally includes a section pertaining to these laureates since they contribute to the environmental, social and political landscape. These laureates contribute a great deal to world economics, and they help steer the conversation around highly crucial topics such as sustainability and human rights. One of the key takeaways from the ceremony held in 2020 had been the honour that was bestowed upon Sweden’s healthcare workers in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Events such as these draw a lot of public attention. Therefore, it was obvious and commendable for the organisers to value this issue on a global platform. Aspirants of the UPSC and IAS Exam can expect questions on this special part of the award ceremony. It can also be taken up as a question in a current affairs quiz. 

Right Livelihood Award Winners 

While the Right Livelihood Award is often associated with the Nobel Prize, it is important to consider that its winners are more locally or nationally renowned and work in fields that are yet to gain broad public traction. The winners of this award, therefore, receive less media coverage and general exposure. Perhaps it is because this award is conceptually a lot more different and nuanced than the Nobel Prize. 

The IAS Preparation often includes questions about the nature of this award, and that can be understood by stating why it is different from the Nobel Prize. This award is funded by donations, while the Nobel Prize is funded by organizations. Similarly, this award is not constrained within a specific number of categories, as the Nobel Prizes do. Finally, the prize money for this award is 200,000 euros, as opposed to the 1 million Euros Nobel Prize money. 

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