Mumbai, July 8: Ever since the establishment of the Nobel Prize in 1895 by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, the award has honoured individuals and organisations who have made outstanding contributions to humanity in fields like Peace, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Economics. Over the years, a total of nine individuals of Indian origin or nationality have received this prestigious honour across various categories, while 12 Indians were nominated, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Recently, the spotlight has returned to the Peace Prize after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu publicly declared their nominations of US President Donald Trump for the 2025 award. Elon Musk Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2025: 'I Don't Want Any Prizes', Says US Billionaire After Slovenian MEP Branko Grims Nominates Him for Prestigious Award for Protecting Free Speech.

While Trump’s nomination is the latest in a long line of politically charged selections, India’s connection to the Nobel Peace Prize dates back decades, with notable nominations and wins. From Mahatma Gandhi’s multiple nominations to Mother Teresa’s humanitarian recognition, India has played a significant role in the Prize’s history. Let’s take a look at the list of Indians who have won or been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for His Role in Israel-Iran Ceasefire and Preventing Tehran From Acquiring Nuclear Weapons.

List of Indians Who Have Won or Been Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize Winners from India:

  1. Rabindranath Tagore (1913): Literature

  2. CV Raman (1930): Physics

  3. Mother Teresa (1979): Peace

  4. Amartya Sen (1998):  Economic Sciences

  5. Kailash Satyarthi (2014): Peace

  6. Har Gobind Khorana (1968):  Physiology or Medicine (Indian-American)

  7. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1983): Physics (Indian-American)

  8. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009): Chemistry (Indian-American and British)

  9. Abhijit Banerjee (2019): Economic Sciences (Indian-American)

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize:

  1. Mahatma Gandhi: The most notable omission, Mahatma Gandhi was nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and a posthumous nomination in 1948.

  2. Jawaharlal Nehru: India's first Prime Minister was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize multiple times in 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1960, and 1961.

  3. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: A philosopher and India's second President, he was also nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, and 1963.

  4. Vinoba Bhave: A spiritual successor to Mahatma Gandhi, he was nominated for the Peace Prize in 1962, 1963, and 1964.

  5. Sri Aurobindo: The renowned Indian poet, philosopher, and yogi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 (and for Literature in 1943).

  6. Satyendra Nath Bose: A brilliant physicist known for his work on quantum mechanics, particularly his contributions to Bose-Einstein statistics. He was nominated multiple times in 1956, 1959, and 1962.

  7. Meghnad Saha: An astrophysicist famous for the Saha equation, which is fundamental to understanding stellar atmospheres. He was nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1951, and 1955.

  8. Homi J Bhabha: Often called the "Father of the Indian Nuclear Program," he was a prominent nuclear physicist nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Physics between 1951 and 1956.

  9. Dr Upendranath Brahmachari: A physician and scientist credited with developing urea stibamine, a highly effective drug for treating kala-azar. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine twice in 1929 and 1942.

  10. Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran: A molecular biophysicist known for the Ramachandran plot, a fundamental tool in protein structure analysis. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964.

  11. Thiruvengadam Rajendram Seshadri: A chemist who made significant contributions to organic chemistry, particularly in the study of natural products. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1966 and 1968.

  12. ECG Sudarshan: An Indian-American theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to quantum optics and elementary particle physics. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005.

While the Nobel Peace Prize has recognized several Indians for their outstanding contributions to peace and humanitarian causes, some iconic figures like Mahatma Gandhi remain notable omissions. The nomination process remains partly confidential, leaving many deserving candidates unacknowledged publicly.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2025 12:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).