President Launches Campaign on "Save the Girl Child" on the Occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and Calls on Citizens to Be Part of the Movement

Naugurates 58th Tb Seal Campaign of Tuberculosis Association of India

Releases Special Commemorative Medallions on the Occasion of the 60th Year of India's Independence

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil hosted three events at Rashtrapati Bhavan today, which is also Gandhi Jayanti.

The President launched the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Signature campaign on "Save the Girl Child", by being the first signatory. The campaign is being launched to make society aware of the declining girl to boy ratio in the 0-6 year age group. Speaking on the occasion Smt. Patil said pre-birth elimination of the female child after sex selection is prevalent even amongst the educated and therefore the problem is not only due to lack of education. The President recalled that when she was the Governor of Rajasthan she had got a survey conducted in which it was found that the problem was not as pronounced in the tribal and rural areas. Smt. Patil emphasized that the girl child is not a curse but a boon. The misuse of technology to determine the sex of the foetus and easy access to it has contributed to the rapid decline in the child sex ratio, she said. The President said the adverse ratio can severely impact the delicate balance of nature and destroy our moral and social fabric. Lesser number of girls will not enhance their status as believed by many, but could lead to increased violence against women and other evils. The President reiterated her commitment to the cause and called on citizens to be a part of this movement.
Smt. Patil in another function inaugurated the 58th TB Seal Campaign of the Tuberculosis Association of India. The President enquired about the progress of the campaign. The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Anbumani Ramdoss informed her that so far 1.5 crore lives had been saved and the World Health Organisation had recognized the TB Seal Campaign as the largest public health programme in the world.
In the third function, the President released Special Commemorative Medallions on the occasion of the 60th Year of India's Independence. The gold medallions produced by the Mines and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC), are a tribute to freedom fighters whose efforts led to Independence. The year 2007 is being celebrated as the Commemoration Year not only of the 60th Anniversary of Independence but also as the Birth Centenary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the 150th Anniversary of the First War of Independence. The Underlying theme of the medallions - Priceless Emotions Captured in Gold, salutes the undying spirit and emotions of Indians.