Oslo: India's child rights crusader Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan's girls' education activist Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Wednesday evening.
Kailash (60) and Malala (17) jointly received this year's Nobel Peace Prize. They were given the Nobel medals, Nobel diplomas and documents confirming the Nobel Prize amount, USD 1.1 million.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kailash Satyarthi in the middle of the ceremony and said that the entire nation was watching the ceremony with great joy and immense pride.
In his tweet, Narendra Modi said - The entire nation watches the ceremony in Oslo with great joy & immense pride. Congratulations @k_satyarthi!
“I also congratulate the young Malala Yousafzai for the momentous achievement,” Modi tweeted soon after the awards were conferred.
The Nobel Prizes are presented every year Dec 10, the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel.
"Nothing should be further from Islam than shooting at a young girl whose only demand was to go to school. Malala's vision was clear from the start, girls have a self-evident right to education," Thorbjorn Jagland, leader of the Nobel Committee, said while addressing the award ceremony in Oslo City Hall 1.
"Satyarthi believes child labour can be eradicated in his own lifetime. Every one here shares his hope", he added.
He stated that "a conscience exists in the world that extends beyond all boundaries".
"It says that children have the right to childhood, that children should go to school and not be forced to work. They should not start their lives as slaves of others. This world's conscience can find no better expression than Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai."
