The Nobel Prizes, established by Alfred Nobel’s will in 1895, are undoubtedly the most coveted prize on the planet. Over the years it has become an ultimate recognition of one’s work. Indeed it it has evolved into the most prestigious global accolade, celebrating human achievement in science, economics literature, and peace. This year, in the field of medicine, Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi have been honoured for their pivotal discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.
The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their experiments demonstrating macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit while in Chemistry, Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi received the prize for their development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). But when it comes to Nobel for peace and literature there are different view points as they are highly subjective.
VS Naipaul the celebrated novelist had a long wait to get it. This time around, Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art. The Nobel Peace Prize, perhaps the most scrutinised of all, has been a subject of controversy over the years. This year, former US President Donald Trump was nominated for his role in facilitating peace agreements, notably between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and his efforts toward ending conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
However, US President Donald Trump did not get it as the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 was awarded to Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's main opposition leader who is in hiding. Machado, also known as Venezuela's Iron Lady for her work in promoting democratic rights. The controversy surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize often stems from the complex nature of global politics.
While the prize aims to recognise individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to peace, the selection process can be influenced by geopolitical considerations, leading to debates about the true intentions behind awarding the prize. In fact so far two people have refused to accept the Nobel prize. Jean-Paul Sartre and Le Duc Tho voluntarily refused a Nobel Prize. Sartre declined it in the Nobel Literature Prize in 1964 as he rejected all official honours, and Tho declined the 1973 Peace Prize due to the ongoing conflict in Vietnam. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger received the peace prize in 1973 but it is still debated for the rationale.
At the end of the day Nobel prize is just an honour for someone’s achievement but does not define the person. Interestingly enough, Mahatma Gandhi never won a Nobel peace prize but he stands taller than all those who won!
