India, Oct. 9 -- Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, the Indian-origin South African jurist, has won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and uphold international law, the awarding committee said on Friday.

"Navi Pillay's commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career," the committee said.

Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin in Durban, South Africa, during the apartheid era, Pillay became a lawyer and a legal pioneer, challenging systemic discrimination, segregation and exclusion.

A common thread runs through her career, from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who fought against apartheid to her role as a judge in some of the most significant internationa...