KATHMANDU, July 11: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called on citizens to marry in time and focus on having children, warning that without balanced population growth alongside development, human existence would be at risk.
Speaking at the launch of the National Population Policy 2025 organized by the Ministry of Health and Population on the occasion of World Population Day in the capital on Friday, PM Oli emphasized that development and population growth must go hand in hand. He said that every individual must view their role in reproduction as a responsibility toward the Earth.
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“It is because of humans that nations and the Earth have meaning. Without population, there would be no country. We must adopt suitable policies and take action to protect human existence and well-being,” he said. “There is nothing more valuable than the human species in the creation of the universe. Those who kill people for their own selfish gain must abandon this practice. On one hand, we hold seminars on population, and on the other, we keep making weapons of mass destruction. If this continues, the very existence of humanity will be threatened. We must not allow demographic imbalance to persist.”
PM Oli reminded that since the government has already set 20 years as the legal minimum age for marriage, people should marry on time, have three children by age 30, and not be misled by songs that suggest enjoying life only after 40.
Expressing concern over declining birth rates, he said public awareness campaigns discouraging large families have had the unintended effect of people choosing to remain childless. He noted that even in developed countries, negative population growth is raising concerns over the survival of the human race. He urged all stakeholders to focus on implementing this new population policy effectively.
