Healthy Citizens Key to Viksit Bharat, Says Kishan Reddy
He highlighted the role of students, youth and women in promoting healthy habits and appreciated quiz, poster-making, video-making and nutritious recipe competitions held during the event.
Hyderabad:Union minister G. Kishan Reddy said a healthy nation was the foundation of a developed India and stressed that achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 demanded sustained focus on health, nutrition, sanitation, fitness, sports and the well-being of women and children.
Addressing the valedictory ceremony of the five-day Poshan MAAH celebrations organised by the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) at AV College grounds, Kishan Reddy urged that nutrition and healthy lifestyle awareness must evolve from government programmes into a people’s movement. He highlighted the role of students, youth and women in promoting healthy habits and appreciated quiz, poster-making, video-making and nutritious recipe competitions held during the event.
PIB and CBC additional director-general Shruti Patil said the five-day programme created awareness among students on nutrition, balanced diets and healthy lifestyles through a range of interactive activities and competitions.
Kishan Reddy called on citizens to take personal responsibility for their health through balanced diets, adequate sleep and regular physical activity such as walking, yoga and sports. He advised reducing excess oil and sugar, avoiding junk food and preferring fresh, home-cooked meals, while also regulating mobile and digital device use to balance screen time with physical activity.
Expressing concern over lifestyle-related health issues among children and youth, he said healthy habits must be inculcated early. On drug abuse, he termed building a drug-free India a collective responsibility and urged parents, teachers, institutions, police and civil society to work together, citing initiatives like Nasha Mukt Bharat and Fit India as integral to a stronger nation.