India, June 30 -- Now, in a move that has sparked both disbelief and debate, US President Donald Trump is aggressively lobbying for the Nobel Peace Prize. But can a figure as polarising as Trump ever align with the Nobel's spirit?

Alfred Nobel's will (1895) established the foundational principle of the prize "for the greatest benefit to humankind". Specifically, the famous will mandates the Nobel Peace Prize to be bestowed on someone who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

It is a tall ask, and it has therefore been given to achievers like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan etc., who have s...