The chief of International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr Mohammed ElBaradei, was today honoured with the prestigious Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development. The award which carries a cash prize of twenty five lakh rupees and a plaque was given away by the President Mrs Pratibha Devi Singh Patil at an impressive function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. The award has been given to him for his impassioned opposition to use of nuclear energy for military purposes. Mr ElBaradei played an important role in clinching the India specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA. Accepting the prize, he said India has become a bacon of hope to the developing world and expressed hope that it will spare no efforts in practising and advocating the highest standards of nuclear safety and security.<br/><br/>Addressing the function, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh sought international cooperation in New Delhi's efforts of expansion in its nuclear programme. The Prime Minister asserted that the benefits of the Atomic Energy should not remain confined to a privileged few as it is vital to meet the power requirements of the developing countries.