Population and development seminar in Mumbai on Sunday

Ashok Mahajan
13 February 2003

Mumbai: Rotary International, in association with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiative and Rural Development, and the Maharashtra state government, is organising ‘Maharashtra State Seminar on Population and Development’ in Mumbai on 16 February 2003.

The half-day seminar is being organised under the auspices of Rotarians in Action, Population and Health Concerns, which will address the crucial social issue of ‘Population Stabilisation.’

The seminar will be inaugurated by Eknath Gaikwad, minister of state for health, Maharashtra. It will be addressed by eminent speakers like O P Vaish, chairman, board of trustees, Rotarians in Action, Population and Health Concerns; François M Farah, UNFPA representative in India; Rajeshree Birla, chairperson, Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiative and Rural Development; Dr A R Nanda, former secretary, health and family welfare, Indian government; Lara Datta, former Miss Universe and now UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.

Dr Subhash Salunkhe, director general, health, Maharashtra; Dr Snehlata Deshmukh, former vice-chancellor, University of Bombay; Manmohan Singh, principal secretary, health, Maharashtra; S V Sista, president, Population First; and Prof T K Roy, director, IIPS, will also participate in the seminar which will be held at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Mumbai.

The seminar is expected to be attended by a large number of doctors, NGOs, representatives of the state and central government, experts from UNFPA and associate agencies, social activists and individuals active in the area of population and development.

“Population stabilisation is a culture-specific process dependent on the various socio-economic factors at play such as education, health and income,” says Ashok Mahajan, convenor of the seminar and past Rotary district governor.