Ajmer:
When India's billionth baby, Aastha was born on May 11, 2000, she was promised free education, free travel and medical facilities. But even after 11 years, she is still waiting like the rest of India's nearly 1.2 billion population. Getting the government to deliver these basic facilities is still is a challenge.
Aastha became the poster child for India's human development goals and the need for strategies to tackle the population problem. But the government apathy has left her family feeling dejected and defeated.
"The government recognised her as extraordinary and promised her many facilities. But if they have not been able to deliver to her, what will they do for the average child?" said Aastha's mother, Anjana Arora.
Ironically, while the government promised her free education, today it's her school that has waived her fees.
"My school friends say that here comes the billionth baby. Once some people came to interview me, they shot a video when we were playing in playground. Then my friends asked me why they making our video then I told them the reason," said Aastha.
But for the government, Aastha is little more than a statistic of India's growing population and its unmet needs.
In May 2000, when Aastha was born, India's population hit one billion. Today, 11 years later, it is 1.21 billion and Aastha has become in many ways the face of India's biggest challenge - a burgeoning population that is yet not stabilising.
Aastha became the poster child for India's human development goals and the need for strategies to tackle the population problem. But the government apathy has left her family feeling dejected and defeated.
"The government recognised her as extraordinary and promised her many facilities. But if they have not been able to deliver to her, what will they do for the average child?" said Aastha's mother, Anjana Arora.
Ironically, while the government promised her free education, today it's her school that has waived her fees.
"My school friends say that here comes the billionth baby. Once some people came to interview me, they shot a video when we were playing in playground. Then my friends asked me why they making our video then I told them the reason," said Aastha.
But for the government, Aastha is little more than a statistic of India's growing population and its unmet needs.
In May 2000, when Aastha was born, India's population hit one billion. Today, 11 years later, it is 1.21 billion and Aastha has become in many ways the face of India's biggest challenge - a burgeoning population that is yet not stabilising.
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