Chennai, April 22 : Leading ophthalmologist and one of the founders of Aravind Eye Care system, Dr. G. Natchiar has been conferred the Padma Shri, award, the fourth highest civilian award of India. She is presently the Director Emeritus of Aravind Eye Care hospitals, a leading eye hospital chain of South India.

She has been empowering young women from rural backgrounds to be world class eye care professionals for the past forty years. She had initiated and implemented a rigorous process to audit the quality, service, performance and academic development of the Aravind Eye hospitals.

Dr Natchiar has also headed the community outreach programme of the Aravind group.

Post retirement she is mainly into farming and has developed an organic farm, ' Aurofarm' which was conferred organic status by the Tamil Nadu government .

/IANS