Having more children is also your responsibility. You are not doing it for yourself, it is also for the benefit of the nation” — Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s proposal to bring in legislation to incentivise those who have more than two children to reverse the trend of the ageing population in the southern states strikes a moral and alarmist note to the state’s declining fertility rates. Highlighting that the state’s demographic advantage will last till 2047, the Naidu said that his government will bring a law that makes only those with more than two children eligible for local body elections. According to the 2011 census, the median age of states in the South — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,Tamil Nadu and Telangana — is higher than several northern states. The median age of Andhra Pradesh in 2011 was 27.6. By 2047, the average age of Andhra’s population would be 40.
Instead of adopting a coercive playbook, there are lessons in all this to address Naidu’s concerns. It involves sex education in schools, disseminating information on reproductive rights and family planning, access to healthcare and the luxury of choice, especially because childcare is expensive and labour-intensive. It requires offering a conducive ecosystem for women to join the labour force. All this would help them make informed choices about their lives and their wombs.
