Kolkata, July 10, 2026

To raise awareness of global demographic challenges, the Department of Statistics at the All-India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health (AIIH&PH), Kolkata, celebrated World Population Day 2026 on the theme, “Realising the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future.”
Dr. Manas Kumar Kundu, Director, AIIH&PH, delivered the inaugural address, emphasizing the importance of integrating public health frameworks with demographic evidence to support the education, health, career and life choices of young people, thereby strengthening India’s demographic dividend. 
Dr. Debasis Dutta, Dean, AIIH&PH, stressed upon the critical population-related issues and their implications for sustainable development. 
Director-Professor S. K. Bhanawat, HOD (Department of Statistics) highlighted the significance of World Population Day and shared key findings from the recently released report, ‘Lives, Choices and Futures’, based on the Demographic Futures Survey (2025–26) and focused on how evidence-based policy making can help to address the emerging issues related to demography and development.
The event featured expert lectures by distinguished speakers. Dr. Suhrita Saha, Professor & Head, Department of Sociology, Presidency University, delivered a talk on “The Environmental Concern and the Population Question.” Dr. Saswata Ghosh, Associate Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata, spoke on the “Demographic Shift and Ageing Population in India: Future Challenges in Elderly Care.”Dr. Sayan Bhattacharya, Professor, AIIH&PH, also addressed the gathering on the hopes and aspirations of young people.
In the poster-making competition, organised on the theme “People and Planet in Harmony,” Ms. Aliva Samanta, Ms. Debasmita Rana, and Ms. Amrita Singh secured the first, second, and third positions, respectively. 
In the debate competition, held on the topics “Can voluntary family planning models survive without deep-rooted gender bias?” and “Can India maintain sustainable development with an ageing population?”, Dr. Anshu Ranjan, Dr. Shagufta Haque and Ms. Rita Sharma won the first, second, and third prizes, respectively. An exciting quiz competition focusing on global population trends, development indicators and demographic statistics was moderated by Director-Professor S. K. Bhanawat, HOD (Department of Statistics). The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered by Shri Rajiv Priyadarshi, Professor, Department of Statistics.

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