Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu urges families to have more children

The CM of Andhra Pradesh pointed out a declining fertility rate in southern states.

Recently, CM N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, addressed the aging population in the South. He urged families to have more children, pointing out the declining fertility rate in southern states, which has dropped to 1.6—below the national average of 2.1. He cited the risk of an aging population and urged families in the South to have more kids.

CM N Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh urges families to have more kids.

The CM of Andhra Pradesh urged families to have more kids, citing the risk of an aging population and declining fertility rate in southern states. According to reports in The Times of India, the state government is considering new legislation aimed at incentivizing larger families as part of its “population management” efforts. He said, “The state government is thinking of bringing a law that would make only those with more than two children eligible to contest local body elections.”

The state government considers reversing the law.

Acknowledging that the state previously had implemented a law that barred individuals with more than two children from contesting local elections, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief noted that the legislation has been repealed. He said, “We are now considering reversing it…the government may provide more benefits to families with more children.” He pointed out the declining fertility rate in southern states and said, “Though we have a demographic advantage until 2047, signs of an aging population are already visible in southern India, including Andhra Pradesh. In many villages across Andhra and other parts of the country, only elderly people remain. The younger population has moved to cities.”

Naidu made a similar request in 2018 during his previous tenure as CM, offering incentives to couples willing to have more than two children and warning against the state becoming “senile” with more elderly citizens and fewer working individuals by the mid-21st century.