At 5.05 am on May 11, 2000 in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India's billionth baby breathed her first and just like that, our country crossed the one billion mark in terms of population. Her name is Aastha Arora. Her mother Anjana received a fixed deposit of two lakh via the UN Population Fund.
Ever wondered how India, in all its vastness, managed to track down who would be its billionth baby? It was all a part of the government's elaborate plan to celebrate the birth of the billionth baby and the aim was to encourage people to have smaller families. Think of it as a public campaign directed towards population control.
Aastha is 21 today and India's population is projected to be 1.39 Billion (139 Crores) as per United Nations data.
Farewell, dear Marley
You know him best as the man with dreadlocks who features on T-shirts, bands and more. But Bob Marley, who the world lost to cancer on May 11, 1981, is much more than reggae and his music. The Jamaican's music spoke truth to power, especially about the struggles of his fellow men. Here are some of his thoughts in the form of quotes and lyrics:
- The people who are trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off – why should I?
- Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver and gold
- Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.
