Since the country’s independence, it has been argued that India’s population far exceeds its available resources and, consequently, requires regulation. Upon independence, family planning—or population control—emerged as a key strategic initiative. It was promoted extensively throughout the nation.
Since the people of South India are generally more educated, they embraced family planning with greater earnestness in pursuit of a higher standard of living; as a result, the demographic balance in the region shifted significantly compared to the rest of the country. While the population surged rapidly in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it did not grow at a similar pace in South Indian states such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Now, as discussions regarding the new census and the redelimitation of parliamentary constituencies have gained momentum, South India has raised a pertinent issue: given that their population growth has slowed—while that of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has accelerated—their representation in Parliament, based on seat allocation, stands to diminish. This situation has created a new dynamic within the country.
Previously, the prevailing family planning slogans were “Hum Do, Hamare Do” (We Two, Ours Two) or “Hum Do, Hamara Ek” (We Two, Ours One). In Andhra Pradesh, the majority of people came to regard their family as “complete” after the birth of just one child.
However, this demographic imbalance has now met with vocal opposition from the South Indian region; consequently, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced a new incentive scheme to encourage family expansion.
He observes that newlywed couples often prioritize having only one child in order to maintain their standard of living; however, he argues that this demographic imbalance is detrimental to the nation— and particularly to the state of Andhra Pradesh. Therefore, Chandrababu Naidu has announced that any couple choosing to have a second child after their first will be awarded an incentive of Rs 25,000.