World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 and this year’s theme is “Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on fertility”. The main purpose of this day is to draw attention towards the issues arising out of rising population across the globe. India has the world’s second-largest populace after China.
The United Nations has sent up a population fund (UNFPA) and a population division to plan programmes and coordinate with other agencies in order to highlight and disseminate information about population control measures.
Theme of World Population Day 2021
This year, the theme of World Population Day 2021 is ‘the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility’. It will be observed to concentrate more light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive behaviour around the globe.
It is organised by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
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History of World Population Day
The World Population Day was established by the United Nations in 1989, buoyed by the interest the Five Billion Day celebrated in 1987. A resolution to the effect was passed, and the draft as first marked on July 11, 1990.
In December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decided to continue observing World Population Day to enhance awareness about population issues, including their relations to the environment.
Significance of World Population Day
The World Population Day is observed with the goal of highlighting the difficulties created by overpopulation and raising awareness about how overpopulation may harm the ecosystem and progress of humanity.
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World Population Day 2021- Some Inspirational Quotes
1. “Almost half of the population of the world lives in rural regions and mostly in a state of poverty. Such inequalities in human development have been one of the primary reasons for unrest and, in some parts of the world, even violence” -A P J Abdul Kalam
2. “As a woman leader, I thought I brought a different kind of leadership. I was interested in women’s issues, in bringing down the population growth rate as a woman, I entered politics with an additional dimension – that of a mother.” -Benazir Bhutto
3. “Rapid population growth and technological innovation, combined with our lack of understanding about how the natural systems of which we are a part work, have created a mess.” -David Suzuki
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Brief about UP’s new policy for Population Control
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 11th July said that the increasing population is the ‘root cause’ of major problems including inequality. On the occasion of World Population Day, Yogi Adityanath took to his official Twitter account and requested everyone to take a pledge to make ourselves and society aware of the problems arising from the increasing population.
Check his tweet here
बढ़ती हुई जनसंख्या समाज में व्याप्त असमानता समेत प्रमुख समस्याओं का मूल है। समुन्नत समाज की स्थापना के लिए जनसंख्या नियंत्रण प्राथमिक शर्त है।
आइये, इस 'विश्व जनसंख्या दिवस' पर बढ़ती जनसंख्या से बढ़ती समस्याओं के प्रति स्वयं व समाज को जागरूक करने का प्रण लें।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 11, 2021
His comments came on a day when Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, will announce a new population policy for 2021-2030 to incentivise people to help in population control.
The draft bill, for which suggestions have been invited from the public till July 19, also prohibits promotions in government jobs for such people, while offering incentives to those limiting their children to two.