Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a comprehensive Population Management Policy, shifting the state's focus from traditional family planning to 'population care' due to declining fertility rates and future demographic challenges.
The policy aims to increase the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the state, which is currently at 1.5, a sharp fall from 3.0 recorded in 1993. The ideal level should be 2.1 to maintain demographic balance.
The government plans to provide incentives, including ₹25,000 at the time of birth for couples having a second or a third child, ₹1000 a month in nutritional support for five years for the third child, and free education up to the age of 18 years for all children.
The policy also includes 10 months maternity leave for women having a third child, and two months paternity leave for men. The government aims to adopt a five-stage life-cycle approach to population management, built on five key pillars — Maatrutvam (motherhood), Shakti (empowerment), Kshema (wellbeing), Naipunyam (skills), and Sanjeevani (health care).
The draft policy will be uploaded online for public feedback, and the government plans to finalise it by the end of this month and implement it from April 1.
