New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Badminton star Saina Nehwal joined 3,000 schooldchildren to spread the message of family planning through a run organised here Sunday to mark the World Population Day.
Nehwal led children from various city schools as they ran from Vijay Chowk to India Gate in central Delhi for creating awareness about population stabilization and family planning.
Talking about the need for family planning, the guest of honour and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said: ‘There is a need for small families as resources are limited and uncontrolled population may result in slower development.’
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, who flagged off the run, stressed on girls’ education and strict implementation of laws on the minimum marriage age.
‘Population stabilization is extremely important as India has a share of 17 percent of the world’s population while it has to manage with only 2.5 percent of global land,’ he said.
‘A craving for male child and delayed first child without proper spacing are few of the problems which need to be dealt with seriously,’ Azad added.
The run was organised by Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (population stabilization fund) in collaboration with the Delhi Government. The theme of this year’s World Population Day is ‘Everyone Counts’.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S. Gandhiselvan, Delhi’s Health Minister Kiran Walia and Education Minister Arvinder Singh were also attended the function.
