Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday raised concerns about declining birth rates in South India. He outlined the state’s new Population Management Policy aimed at addressing falling fertility rates while speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital.
As per the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office, Naidu said that several countries are already facing problems linked to ageing populations. He said India still has the advantage of a demographic dividend, which could last until 2047. “India’s replacement fertility rate is 2.1 and the current rate is around 2.2. But in South India, it is nearly 1.5, which is far below the replacement level,” he said.
He added that Andhra Pradesh has introduced a new policy to encourage population growth. “For the first time, a state government has brought a population management policy. If a family has a second child, the government will provide ₹25,000 as cash at the time of delivery. For the third child, we will give Rs 1,000 every month for five years for nutrition and child development,” he said.
Naidu also spoke about measures to support parents. He said that "We are giving maternity leave for one year. Even men will get one or two months of leave to look after the child. Raising children is a parental responsibility - both wife and husband have to share it equally."
Speaking to mediapersons after the dialogue, Naidu said that Andhra Pradesh has been focusing on emerging technologies for several years. He said sectors such as information technology, artificial intelligence and quantum technology will play a major role in improving governance and strengthening the economy.
“I have been working on technology since the beginning. IT, AI and quantum technologies are areas where Andhra Pradesh is moving ahead. Through technology, we can provide better services in the future and also build a stronger economy,” he said.
The chief minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the country currently has a strong government backed by effective public policies.
“Our Prime Minister is providing a strong government and excellent public policy,” he said.
Naidu also pointed out that discussions in India earlier focused mainly on population control. However, he said the focus is now shifting to concerns about declining population growth in some regions, particularly in southern states.
"Recently, I introduced a population management policy. Until yesterday, we were all talking about population control. Now we're talking about how to increase the population. Now there's a problem in South India. Some countries are also facing the same problem,'' he said.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh has started experimenting with its new population management policy to address these demographic challenges. He described the initiative as a major step that could serve as a model for other states.
"I raised that issue here as well. Andhra Pradesh is the first state where we're experimenting with population growth. This is the biggest exercise. Now, other states are also coming. If you can manage population management, no one can defeat India. It's going to happen,'' he said.
Referring to a discussion held in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday, Naidu said the state is also considering restrictions on social media use among minors. He said there is a proposal to ban social media for children below the age of 13. "We are also considering whether children under 13 can be prevented from using social media. We are working on this as well. We are debating and discussing this," he said.
Meanwhile, amid rising concerns about excessive screen time among children, the government of Karnataka is also considering similar steps. While presenting the Rs 4,48,004 crore State Budget in the Assembly in Bengaluru on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that social media will be banned for children below 16 years of age in the state. He said the move aimed to reduce the growing impact of excessive mobile phone use among young people.
Also read: Andhra announces social media ban for children under 13
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