Key Points:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced a new population management policy that shifts focus from population control to population care. The government plans to provide ₹25,000 incentives to parents for having a second or third child.
The proposed policy aims to combat declining fertility rate and ensure a healthy demographic population in the state. It will support families through parental leave, Poshan–Shiksha–Suraksha package, childcare centres and improved maternal care.
Congress leader Manickam Tagore criticised the policy, saying India’s problem is not a shortage of people but lack of quality education, skills, jobs and opportunities. He argued that encouraging population growth with cash incentives is “short-sighted politics.”
With India being the most populous nation in the world, having a population of about 1.4 billion people, chances of getting awarded for more children seem highly unlikely. But hold your horses, as new twists and turns are prevalent in the world’s largest democracy. Andhra Pradesh might introduce a policy soon that seeks to provide financial incentives to parents who produce more than two children.
That’s right, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on March 5, 2026, that his government is going to launch a new population management policy that would shift the focus from population control to population care.
Speaking in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the TDM (Telugu Desam Party) leader said that his government will provide Rs. 25,000 to parents for having a second or third child. He mentioned that this policy was to combat declining fertility rate in the state, and ensure a healthy demographic population.
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In a post on X (dated March 5, 2026), he said: “Our policy will support families through incentives including ₹25,000 for the third child, parental leave for mothers and fathers, and the Poshan–Shiksha–Suraksha package to ensure nutrition, education and protection for every child.” He further said that the government will work to provide economic benefits to families “through working women hostels, childcare centres, pink toilets, and improved maternal care through Matrutva centres of excellence.”
The proposed policy, likely to come into effect from April 1, 2026, is going to be drafted completely by the end of March 2026. It also states that a strong ecosystem will be created that will support families from safe motherhood to skilling, further enhancing healthcare and public welfare policies.
However, the proposed policy has not gone down well with the opposition. Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that the new policy doesn’t take into consideration the already growing population of the country, and ignores crucial issues such as lack of employment opportunities and lack of quality education.
In a post on X (dated March 6, 2026), he said: “Our problem is not a shortage of people. Our problem is the lack of quality education, skills, jobs, and opportunities for the millions of young Indians entering the workforce every year. Instead of focusing on human capital, education, healthcare and job creation, this policy encourages population growth with cash incentives. That is not forward-looking governance — it is short-sighted politics.”
Speaking further, he said that this drew on ideological biases of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) policies of producing more children and increasing the population. He mentioned that public policies should focus on economic realities, job opportunities, healthcare, infrastructure, education and upskilling in the modern age of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and technology. “Public policy must prepare India for the future of work, not follow an ideological model that treats population growth as a political project," he said.
Now, what remains to be seen is how this pans out in upcoming political developments. While CM Naidu emphasises on building a strong and youthful population, Opposition leaders focus more on resolving current issues for prosperity. As the debate gathers pace, the proposed policy could open a wider national conversation on how India approaches demographic change in the coming decades.
Whether Andhra Pradesh’s shift from population control to population care becomes a model for other states or remains a political flashpoint will likely unfold once the policy takes shape after April 2026.
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