From correspondents in Delhi, India, 04:49 PM IST

The Prize named after Annemarie - Madison, is awarded to persons and organisations which function especially as role models for the improvement of patient care as also the representation of patients' rights and research. This year, the Annemarie - Madison Prize is bestowed upon Dr (Ms) Kiran Bedi from India.

With a large number of initiatives to her credit, Dr Kiran Bedi has made a name for herself. As the Inspector General of Prisons in the early '90s, she initiated reforms which included detoxification programs, healthier food, improved sanitary conditions, lessons in reading and writing and even made learning of foreign languages for prisoners possible. She activated the local population and carried out several innovations with their participation, such as tree plantation drives (green zones) inside the prisons as also "Vipasana" - the Zen - Buddhist meditation project for convicts, among many others.

With her vast experience, she has advised the General Secretary of the United Nations as also several Peace Missions of the UN. She has represented India in several international forays, on issues such as crime prevention, drug abuse, and especially the empowerment of women from the marginalised strata of society. Her work has been recognised through the conferring of several officially and privately instituted prizes. She has been awarded, among others, with the prestigious Ramon Magsasay Award - also known as the Asian Nobel Prize - in 1994, the Joseph Bueys Prize in 1997 and the "Pride of India" commendation in 1999. Dr Kiran Bedi was the national Indian and Asian tennis champion. She has founded many NGOs, among them, 'Nayjyoti' and 'India Vision Foundation'. These NGOs reach out to more than 10,000 needy people every day and are focussed upon the handling of drug addiction, school programs for children of prisoners and improvement of the educational chances, training and health advice for people belonging to weaker sections of society both in urban as well as in rural areas.

Source: Press Release Distribution via India PRwire