Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sparked a fresh debate on population control by urging citizens in southern states to have more children, citing concerns over the region’s ageing population.
While addressing at the resumption of construction work in Amaravati on Saturday, which had been paused by the previous government, Naidu highlighted his concerns about the declining population growth in the state.
He explained that while the state had previously barred candidates with more than two children from contesting, this law was repealed on August 7. The upcoming legislation, he said, would reverse the situation by encouraging larger families.
“We are thinking of providing incentives to families with more children, encouraging couples to have more children,” Naidu said, adding, “We have repealed the earlier law barring people with more than two children from contesting local body elections. We will bring in a new law to make only those with more than two children eligible to contest.’’ he added, The Indian Express reported.
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Naidu also pointed out that many villages now consist mainly of elderly people, with younger generations moving abroad or to other parts of India. He emphasised the demographic advantage the state has until 2047, after which the number of elderly will outstrip the younger population, much like in Japan, China, and parts of Europe.
“We are already in deficit. Having less than two children leads to the rapid decline of the young population. Having more than two children will ensure a stable population,” he said.
In a reflection on his previous stance, Naidu admitted he once supported population control measures. “I was staunchly in favour of population control once upon a time, and brought in legislation barring persons having more than two children from contesting elections… I was afraid that a huge population would cause shortages of water, land, and other resources. You listened to me and brought down the population in Andhra Pradesh in just 10 years. Now, I am afraid that we won’t have enough young population in our state,” Naidu said.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions. K C Tyagi, a senior JD(U) leader, voiced disagreement with Naidu’s approach, highlighting that population control can be achieved through education rather than legislation.
He praised Nitish Kumar’s non-coercive model in Bihar, which focuses on educating girls to reduce fertility rates. Meanwhile, the BJP has remained silent on Naidu’s comments, with a spokesperson declining to comment.