Andhra Considers ₹25,000 Incentive for Second Child to Boost Falling Birth Rate

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the state government is considering a ₹25,000 financial incentive for couples having a second child or more. The move aims to improve the state’s declining fertility rate.

The proposal seeks to raise Andhra Pradesh’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from the current 1.5 to the replacement level of 2.1 . The incentive would be provided at the time of delivery and is described as a potential policy game-changer .

The government plans to introduce a population management policy by the end of March and implement it from April. Unlike earlier population-control approaches, the new framework focuses on population care through five pillars Matrutva, Shakti, Naipunyam, Kshema, and Sanjeevani .

Under Matrutva , the state aims to reduce sterilisation incentives, promote responsible reproductive health policies, and extend subsidised IVF support through PPP models for nearly 12 lakh childless couples . It also targets reducing caesarean sections below 40% through audits and policy changes and lowering teenage pregnancy rates from 8.8% to below 3% .

The Shakti pillar focuses on women’s empowerment through workplace infrastructure, housing support, parental leave parity, and awareness campaigns.

The Sanjeevani pillar introduces digitised health records, a health app with wellness scores, AI-based risk assessment, and consent-based data sharing.

Under Kshema , the government plans to engage around 50,000 retired professionals over the next decade for mentoring and flexible employment while offering preventive health leave.

The Naipunyam pillar emphasises skill development to support investment growth from 610 investment deals worth over ₹13 lakh crore . It also proposes training 10,000 certified caretakers annually , including support for industrial creches and elderly care.

Naidu highlighted concerns about ageing populations, citing declining fertility rates in countries like Japan, South Korea, and Italy. Andhra Pradesh previously had a TFR of 3 in 1992–93 , which declined to 1.5 in 2021 . Around 6.7 lakh babies are born annually in the state, but if the trend continues, nearly 23% of the population could be aged by 2047 .