Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announces cash incentives for families to have more children amid concerns about falling birth rates. Multiple outlets report that the government will provide ₹30,000 for the birth of a third child and ₹40,000 for the birth of a fourth child. The policy is presented as part of the state’s efforts to reverse a declining population trend and address demographic change, including an aging population.
Several reports link the move to lower fertility levels, noting that the state’s Total Fertility Rate is around 1.5. NDTV and other sources also attribute the slowdown in some cases to rising incomes leading some couples to have only one child. Mint notes that the move follows an earlier proposal to offer ₹25,000 for the birth of a second child.
Business Standard adds that Naidu makes the announcement while speaking in Srikakulam district and says further details will be released within a month. The Hindu further frames the incentives as part of a broader “population management” approach, and mentions the possibility of increasing Thalliki Vandanam aid.
