Stating this here today while addressing a seminar on “Holistic Approach to Health and Fitness”, economist and Dean, Academic Affairs of Punjabi University, Sucha Singh Gill said the infant mortality rate was higher in Kerala as compared to Punjab.

Gill said the better health figures in Kerala matched the advanced United States of America on almost all health parameters, implying that Keralites were more health conscious and living a better quality of life. “Economic development nowadays is measured in terms of human development index and not according to per capita income,” Gill said.

At the seminar organised by the university’s Department of Physical Education, it was stressed that physical education teachers and practitioners could play a vital role in “showcasing” the Indian society as one of the best societies in the world because it’s human health that was regarded as the best wealth around the globe.

The policy makers, opinion leaders and people of Punjab need to focus more on health-related issues along with developing its economic status which has been relegated to the fifth position from once first, it was revealed.

Gill further said that commercial tendencies have polluted and contaminated everything eatable resulting into occurrence of newer kinds of diseases. With more and more use of pesticides and insecticides by the farmers, we are being compelled to intake repeated doses of poison in shape of vegetables, fruits, pulses, dairy and poultry products. Rather than individualistic, we need to develop a utilitarian approach towards social health by way of public action, he said.

Ajmer Singh, Olympian, Arjuna awardee and a former Vice-Chancellor of LNCPE, Gwalior, said that physical educationists should not rate them inferior to educationists in other fields. They can, in fact, play a more significant role in creating a better society as they deal with the real wealth, that is, youth of country.