Nagpur | RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday stressed the importance of family and said if the population growth rate of a society goes below 2.1, then that society will perish by itself.

Addressing a gathering at the 'Kathale Kul (clan) Sammelan' in Nagpur, he said "kutumb" (family) is part of the society and every family is a unit.

"Decreasing population is a matter of concern because the Loksankhya Shastra says that if we go below 2.1, then that society perishes, no one will destroy it, it will perish by itself," he said.

"The population policy of our country, which was decided around 1998 or 2002, says that the population growth rate should not be below 2.1," the RSS chief said.

"We need more than two, that is three (as population growth rate), that's what the population science says. This number is important because it (society) should survive," he said.