Mumbai, Jul 30 (IANS): Vishakha Tripathi, President of the philanthropic organisation Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), was conferred the Top 50 Indian Icon award at a well-attended function here on Friday evening.

The awardees also included people of Indian origin from Singapore, Thailand and Dubai.

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Singh and Chairman of All India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninder Jeet Singh Bitta presented the awards. Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat's Secretary Ram Puri received the award on behalf of Tripathi.

"The award has been given to Vishakha Tripathi, President of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, for exemplary work in the field of girl education and philanthropy," said programme coordinator Anurag Batra.

In her message, Tripathi said it was heartening to know that the efforts of her trust to educate girls of rural areas was getting nationwide recognition.

"Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat is incessantly working towards education of needy women and also running charitable hospitals and providing top class healthcare facilities to the poor and the needy," she said.

"Reaching out to those who need basic requirement for a dignified life is both satisfying and worthy. Awards like these encourage all of us at Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat to enhance our efforts further.”

Puri elaborated on the activities of the trust and said that apart from women's education and healthcare facilities, it organises various philanthropic and welfare activities for the poor and the deprived.

"The constant efforts of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat are now being recognised everywhere and awards like these inspire us to work better.”

In the past, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education has been honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Global Excellence Award, the Mother Teresa Award and the Nelson Mandela Award for exemplary work in the field of girl education.

The trust imparts free education to more than 5,000 girls from pre-primary to post-graduate levels through institutions in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh. In addition, it also runs three charitable hospitals that provide free consultation, medicines and total healthcare facilities.