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Published 20:27 IST, January 17th 2025

Andhra CM Proposes ‘At Least 2 Kids’ Law, Bars Candidates With Fewer Children From Contesting Polls

Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu announced a policy requiring individuals to have at least two children to be eligible for local body elections, to boost population.

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Andhra CM Proposes ‘At Least 2 Kids’ Law, Bars Candidates With Fewer Children From Contesting Polls | Image: Republic

Vishakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu speaking in a press conference, announced a new policy to encourage population growth, saying that a law would require individuals to have at least two children to be eligible to contest in local body elections.

Naidu also highlighted that family size would play a key role in determining eligibility for future government schemes.

Naidu said, “In the past, population was seen as a burden, but today, it is considered an asset. Earlier, we used to offer incentives to control population growth. For instance, families with up to five members were given 25 kilograms of rice, but no additional benefits were provided to families with more than five members. At that time, we even enacted a law disqualifying those with more than two children from contesting local body elections, as it suited the needs of the society back then."

Naidu acknowledged changing circumstances and stressed the importance of promoting population growth. “Now, there is a need to promote population growth. Therefore, only individuals with at least two children will be eligible to contest elections," he said.

“By 2026, Andhra Pradesh’s population is expected to reach 53.8 million. It is estimated to grow to 54.2 million by 2031 and 54.4 million by 2036. However, by 2041, the population is likely to decline to 54.2 million and could further drop to 54.1 million by 2051," he explained by referencing statistics, sharing projections about the state's declining population. 

Naidu also highlighted the state's declining Total Fertility Rate (TFR), stating, “In 2026, the average TFR is projected to be 1.51 births per couple. By 2051, this is expected to drop to 1.07, which is alarming. For stable population management, the TFR should ideally be 2.1 births per couple."

Emphasizing the importance of population, Naidu remarked, “Population is wealth. If we focus solely on creating wealth while ignoring population growth, there will be no one left to utilise that wealth. In the future, we may have massive airports and wide roads, but there might not be enough people to use them."

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Updated 20:27 IST, January 17th 2025