Amravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has made a big announcement regarding the declining birth rate in the state. He has said that families who have a third child will be given financial assistance of Rs 30 thousand and on the birth of the fourth child, financial assistance of Rs 40 thousand will be given. Even before this, he had mentioned the scheme of giving Rs 25 thousand on the birth of the second child. He believes that people in the state are giving priority to small families, due to which the pace of population growth is continuously decreasing.
What did Naidu say while addressing the public meeting?
Addressing a public meeting, Naidu said that today many couples want only one child. Some families plan a second child only if the first child is not a boy. He says that if this situation continues then in the coming years the state may have to face challenges like increase in elderly population and shortage of working youth.
Many leaders of South India have already talked about increasing the birth rate. Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin had also given a statement regarding having more children. Some social and religious organizations have also been presenting large population as power. However, the big question amid this debate is whether emphasizing on increasing population is the right strategy in a country with a huge population like India?
India has already become the most populous country in the world. According to United Nations estimates, the country’s population may reach around 167 crores by 2050. However, on the other hand, the fertility rate in the country is continuously falling. The NITI Aayog report shows that while in the 1950s an Indian woman used to give birth to an average of six children, in the coming years this rate may drop to less than two. Experts say that low birth rate means a rapid increase in the number of elderly people in the future.
According to the United Nations report, the elderly population in India may more than double by 2050. This will increase pressure on health services, pension and social security. This is why some states are now considering incentive schemes to maintain population balance.
Population density increased rapidly in cities
However, increasing population also brings with it many serious challenges. The country is already struggling with resource pressure. India has about 18 percent of the world’s population, but only 2.4 percent of the land. Population density in cities is increasing rapidly, due to which the problems of housing, water and employment are deepening.
Food security also remains a big concern. Crores of people are still deprived of nutritious food. At the same time, due to increasing population, water crisis is also becoming serious. Ground water is depleting rapidly in many big cities. Experts believe that if a balanced policy on population control and resource management is not made, then problems like education, health, employment and environment may become more serious in the future.
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