Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 25: Grace Pinto, managing director of Ryan International Group of Institutions has been selected among the '100 Women Achievers' by the union ministry of women and child development (WCD) for her commendable contribution in the field of education in the country.

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee felicitated Grace Pinto during a lunch hosted for the 100 women achievers on January 22 at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the first anniversary of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme.

The union ministry of women and child development (MWCD) had launched the ‘#100Women Initiative’ to recognise women who have made a difference in their communities in various fields such as education, arts and culture, environment, healthcare etc. The process involved a contest to select 100 women achievers through public nominations via social media. Facebook had collaborated with the union government in this mission.

Having received the honour for being among the top women achievers in India, Grace Pinto said, "I greatly commend the efforts of ministry of women and child development to empower women in our country and recognize their contribution in the country. I thank the President for bestowing this honour and I am grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ for this recognition. I dedicate this award to all my Ryan staff, parent community and well wishers. We will continue our efforts to make quality education accessible in every part of our country in order to empower the youth of nation."

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Friday said, "The #100Women Initiative recognizes women leaders who are making an important difference in communities across India. People were invited to submit nominations on the Ministry’s Facebook page and then vote on the shortlist of finalists. Today, the 100 winners met with the President of India.

"So many extraordinary women leaders were nominated and recognized...We're proud to help our community shine a light on the stories of these women who are making India and all of our lives better," he added.