The Union Women & Child Development Ministry is calling it a virtual coup having roped in Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan for its new Information Education & Communication (IEC) campaign against malnutrition which is to be inaugurated on November 14.
Buoyant with the success of having brought in one of Bollywood’s best names, the Ministry is now looking towards actor Priyanka Chopra to be the face for its campaign against female foeticide.
‘No issues with Aamir’
WCD Minister Krishna Tirath said: “The Ministry would also like to clarify that there was never any problem with actor Aamir Khan being associated with the programme as has been reported by some media. The actor had problem settling on a date, but we had an understanding with him about the free-of-cost and totally volunteer-based contribution of the actor to the programme.”
The Ministry in an official statement on Wednesday said: “Actor Aamir Khan is a valued personality and a key figure in this campaign against malnutrition. He has been providing his services without charging any money from the Government for the noble cause. The efforts made by him are laudable and highly appreciated. The campaign is aimed at creating awareness about the various facets of malnourishment and undernourishment especially among the age group of 0-6 years of age.”
The Minister added that while Aamir Khan has extended his support for the Ministry’s programme, they are now looking for a female actor who could become of the face of the Government’s programmes/work to prevent female foeticide.
Ms. Tirath said: “We have shortlisted a few names, but the Ministry is keen on working with actor Priyanka Chopra who we feel has mass appeal. The idea is to create an environment and catch people’s attention about the problem. We feel that bringing in a strong well-known female role model would create a positive vibe about the issue. The modalities have still to be worked out and we are looking at the suitability of bringing in a well know name. The Ministry is worried about the fast decline in child sex-ratio in the country and is keen to put in all possible measures to ensure that the decline is stopped.”
