Even though the United Nations projects the nation’s population will keep rising for about four decades, peaking at around 1.7 billion, some policymakers and Hindu groups say the shift away from smaller families should begin now.
The country’s total fertility rate, the average number of children per woman, declined to 2.0 in the 2019/21 government assessment period, down from 3.4 in 1992/93, due to increasing use of contraceptives and rising education among females.
A rate of 2.1 is required for the population to replace itself, the government estimates.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said falling birth rates in many countries were leading to ageing populations and economic strain.
“In the past, we worked extensively on family planning,” he said. “Now, given the changed circumstances, we are calling for children to be seen as wealth.”
The north-eastern state of Sikkim has also urged families to have more children, offering incentives like year-long maternity leave, month-long paternity leave and financial support for in-vitro fertilisation. — Reuters
