Context:

• The "Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025," also known as the Nobel of Asia, was announced on August 31 in the Philippines.

Key Points:

This year, three winners will be conferred with this prestigious award:

1. Educate Girls (India):

• India’s non-profit organization Educate Girls will be honored with this award for addressing gender inequality in girls’ education in rural and remote areas.
• The organization works to empower families, communities, and society.
• This is the first time an Indian organization has been successful in receiving this award.

2. Shahina Ali (Maldives):

• Shahina Ali will be honored for her fight against plastic pollution and her efforts to conserve the marine ecosystem of the Maldives.
• Her work represents a significant contribution to environmental protection and sustainability.

3. Flavio "Flavie" Villanueva (Philippines):

• A human rights activist and priest who assisted families affected during Duterte’s war on drugs.
• His work raised awareness for social justice and human rights.

 Award Ceremony: To be officially conferred on November 7, 2025, at the Metropolitan Theater, Manila, Philippines.

Ramon Magsaysay Award

• Considered Asia’s most prestigious honor.
• Established: 1957 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Philippine government.
• In honor of: Former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, who made remarkable contributions to integrity and public service.
• First Award Ceremony: 1958 (awarded to five individuals and one organization).
• Objective: To promote Ramon Magsaysay’s values—courageous service to the people, democratic ideals, and integrity in governance.

Categories (1958–2008):

• Government Service
• Public Service
• Community Leadership
• Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts
• Peace and International Understanding
• Emergent Leadership (for those under 40 years of age)

Note: Since 2009, except for Emergent Leadership, categories have been removed, and awards are given based on exceptional contributions.

Award Includes: Certificate, medal with the embossed image of Ramon Magsaysay, and cash prize.

Eligibility: Individuals/organizations born in or working in Asia, regardless of color, creed, gender, or nationality.

Selection Process: In-depth evaluation by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.

Prominent Indian Winners:

• 2019: Ravish Kumar (Journalist) – For unbiased journalism
• 2018: Sonam Wangchuk (Environmental Activist) – For contributions in education and environmental protection
• 2006: Arvind Kejriwal (Politician) – For social reforms and transparency
• 2000: Aruna Roy (RTI Activist) – For promoting Right to Information
• 1994: Kiran Bedi (Former IPS Officer) – For social reforms and contribution to police service
• 1982: Arun Shourie (Journalist) – For excellence in journalism
• 1967: Satyajit Ray (Filmmaker) – For contributions to cinematic art
• 1965: Jayaprakash Narayan (Politician) – For social and political reforms
• 1962: Mother Teresa (Social Worker) – For service to the poor

Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Educate Girls)

• A leading non-profit organization in India.
• Founded: 2007, by Safeena Husain
• Headquarters: Rajasthan
• Main Objective: To connect girls in rural and backward areas with education, re-enroll school dropouts, and raise awareness to retain them in education.
• The organization has formed a team of volunteers called “Team Balika”, active in more than 23,000 villages.
• Educate Girls launched a program called “Pragati” (Open School initiative) to help girls and young women (aged 15–29) complete their education through open schooling and gain livelihood opportunities.

Achievements:

• Re-enrolled and retained over 2 million girls in schools.
• Active in over 85 districts across 4 states in India.
• Implemented the world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education, creating a model of results-based financing in the sector.