WORLD POPULATION DAY 2018
The department of Economics, Don Bosco College, Tura organized a seminar on 11th July, 2018 in the college premises to celebrate the World Population Day which is being celebrated on this day every year all over the world for the last three decades. An eventful occasion which seeks to draw the world’s attention on the importance of population issues ,the World Population Day took its cue from the informed interest that was raised by “Five Billion Day” on 11th July, 1987. That was the day when the world’s population reached 5 billion. The theme of the 2018 celebration is “Family Planning is a Human Right”.
The year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of a conference that focused on family planning which was first organized in 1968, when the International Conference on Human Rights was held. For the first time ever, family planning was affirmed to be a human right. The Tehran Proclamation, adopted during the conference, states that it is a basic right of parents to be able to decide on the number and spacing of their children.
Millions of women, globally, are still not given access to safe and effective family planning methods. This is why it has been chosen as the focus for 2018. A basic human right is to be able to get safe and effective family planning. It should also be a voluntary choice. Gender equality and women’s empowerment depend on it. Furthermore, it is a key factor in reducing poverty.
Yet in developing regions, some 214 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and effective family planning methods, for reasons ranging from lack of access to information or services to lack of support from their partners or communities. This threatens their ability to build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
In an attempt to create awareness on these and other related issues, the Economics honours students of the 1st, 3rd and 5th semester displayed posters and slogans on the theme. “Family Planning is a Human Right”.
Fr. Bivan Rodriques Mukhim, Principal, Don Bosco College, Tura spoke on the importance of the day, highlighting the alarming rate of population growth which if unchecked would eventually lead to depletion of resources, and give rise to the problems of unemployment and poverty. Fr. Albert D.Sangma, Vice Principal Don Bosco College and Prof. Salkam Leezar S.Momin were also present on the occasion.
Prof. Siddhartha Roy, H.O.D, Department of Economics elaborated on the situations in China and Japan, two other Asian giants having high GDP and high population and a comparison of India’s population scenario with these countries.
The students of the 5th semester presented papers on the topics “ Family Planning is a Human Right”, “ World population growth and its effects”, “India’s population growth and its effects” and “ population growth - its causes and effects” .
The programme was a success with timely deliberations on the problems relating to unbridled population growth which needs immediate intervention. All the students participated with great enthusiasm.
