The chief minister of India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has announced a new policy aimed at encouraging population growth by offering financial incentives to families for having more children, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.
According to Indian media reports, parents will receive 30,000 Indian rupees for the birth of a third child and 40,000 rupees for a fourth child under the proposed initiative.
The chief minister said the payments were intended to provide direct financial support to families and encourage higher birth rates at a time when declining population growth was becoming a serious concern in many parts of the world.
Chandrababu Naidu described children as a “national asset” and said governments needed to rethink population policies in light of changing global demographic trends.
He also announced plans to launch a special programme titled “Children Are Wealth”, aimed at maintaining demographic balance and supporting family welfare.
According to the chief minister, Anganwadi centres across the state were also being strengthened, while additional measures were being introduced to improve nutrition for mothers and children.
Naidu added that financial support for mothers was already being provided under the “Talliki Vandanam” welfare scheme as part of the government’s broader social support programme.