Andhra CM Naidu and TN CM Stalin Advocate for Families to Have More Children

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu raised alarm on Monday (October 21) regarding the state’s aging population and encouraged families to consider having more children. He emphasized the need for a demographic shift, stating that the state government plans to introduce legislation allowing only individuals with two or more children to run for local body elections.

“The state’s growth rate needs to improve. It’s vital that everyone reflects on this issue and aims for families to have at least two children. In the past, I advocated for population control, but now the focus must shift to increasing the birth rate for the future. We are actively working on a law to support this initiative,” Naidu asserted.

Echoing Naidu’s sentiments, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin urged couples to expand their families. He highlighted the potential decrease in parliamentary representation due to delimitation, quipping, “In this scenario, we might as well aim for 16 children and thrive. There’s a saying in Tamil, ‘live prosperously with 16 types of wealth.'”

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh raised concerns regarding the long-overdue census, questioning whether it would impact the allocation of Lok Sabha seats. He cautioned against penalizing South Indian states for their achievements in family planning, which could inadvertently diminish their political clout in Parliament.

Ramesh pointed out that these states, known for pioneering family planning, achieved replacement fertility levels at different times—Kerala in 1988, Tamil Nadu in 1993, Andhra Pradesh in 2001, and Karnataka in 2005. He emphasized the need for appropriate measures to ensure that their successes do not result in a loss of political representation.