Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo has been conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize 2024 for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

The organisation is a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha, which strives to “achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again”.

While announcing this year’s Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured the atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki for cultivating hope for peace through “their costly experience”. “They help us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons,” the committee stated on X.

The committee also highlighted that no nuclear weapon has been used in war in nearly 80 years. Acknowledging Nihon Hidankyo’s efforts towards the establishment of a nuclear taboo, the Nobel Committee also aid that the same is under pressure.

By drawing on personal stories, creating educational campaigns based on their own experience, and issuing urgent warnings against the spread and use of nuclear weapons, the organisation has helped consolidate opposition to nuclear weapons, said a Nobel Committee press release.

“The nuclear powers are modernising and upgrading their arsenals, new countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons, and threats are being made to use nuclear weapons in ongoing warfare. At this moment in human history, it is worth reminding ourselves what nuclear weapons are: the most destructive weapons the world has ever seen,” a press release stated.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to scientists David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, while the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation.

South Korean writer Han Kang, was awarded 2024 the Nobel Prize in Literature, “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”

American John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel Prize in Physics for pioneering work in the development of artificial intelligence. Shortly after the award’s announcement, Hinton raised concerns about the technology he has created.

The prize comes with a gold medal, a diploma and a prize sum of $1 million (913,000 euro).

Born in December 1957 to Novel Tata and Simone N Tata, a French-Swiss Catholic, Noel Tata is the half-brother of Ratan Tata.
He holds a degree from Sussex University (UK) and has completed the International Executive Programme (IEP) at INSEAD.
Noel Tata is married to Aloo Mistry and together they have three children – Leah, Maya and Neville Tata – all actively involved in the family business. Leah Tata is the Vice President at the Indian Hotels Company. While Maya Tata is associated with Tata Capital, Neville Tata is part of Trent and leadership team at Star Bazaar.
Noel Tata’s most prominent role before this new appointment was as Managing Director of Tata International Ltd, the group’s trading and distribution arm.
Under his leadership from 2010 to 2021, the company grew from a turnover of $500 million to over $3 billion, proving his ability to drive growth in a highly competitive environment.
As Managing Director of Trent Ltd, Tata’s retail arm, he expanded its operations from a single store in 1998 to over 700 stores across various formats.
Currently, Noel Tata is the chairman of Trent, Tata International Limited, Voltas and Tata Investment Corporation. He is also vice chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Limited.
He also serves as a trustee on the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, which together comprise over 50 percent of the ownership of Tata Sons. These two trusts are the administrative wings and can mutually appoint people to Tata Trust.
With this, Noel Tata has become the sixth chairman of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and 11th chairman of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.
Noel Tata was previously considered a potential candidate for the chairmanship of Tata Sons but the reins of the were handed over to Cyrus Mistry, Noel’s brother-in-law. However, following Mistry’s controversial exit, N Chandrasekaran, the then chief of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), became the chairman of Tata Sons.

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