Friday, May 13 2005 09:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday (May 12, 2005) said any element of coercion should be avoided in population control policies.

"Development is ultimately about people, it is about widening human choices and giving them control of their lives," Singh said releasing an 'Advocay Briefing Kit' prepared by the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD).

Any policy in this regard (on population stabilisation) should aim at empowering people, especially women to take charge of their destiny and any element of coercion should be avoided in the population control policies, he said.

Through awareness and education, especially among women, people may be encouraged to make sensible reproductive choices, he said.

Describing population issue as a human development problem, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to create an environment where basic indicators of community health were strong and infant mortality was under control.

He referred to the "Kerala experience" for underlining the role of sensible policies and education in stabilising population and reducing infant mortality rate.

Health Minsiter Anbumani Ramadoss, who received the kit from the Prime Minister, said education and awareness are the cornerstones of population control policies.

"National Rural Health Mission also aims to tackle these issues with the help of grass root institutions," he said.