Some of the southern states of India are starting to work to increase fertility, reports the BBC. These actions may come as a surprise in a country that is already the world's most populous with nearly one and a half billion citizens. A birth rate in India is very uneven and it could soon become important for the political future of certain parts of the country.
Authorities in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh are considering implementing incentives to have children, abandoning the current “two-child” policy, the BBC reported on Monday. The neighboring states of Telangana and Tamil Nadu, located even further south, may soon decide to take a similar step.
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A populous country wants to increase fertility
Why are pro-birthing campaigns starting in a populous country of 1.45 billion people? All because natural growth is very unevenly distributed among them. While the northern states continue to have high birth rates, the situation is increasingly difficult in the central and southern regions, with birth rates already below replacement in 17 of India's 29 states and territories.
Therefore, it is not a coincidence that new campaigns of family supporters are emerging in the south of India. In five states of this part of the country, the birth rate per woman has already reached 1.6 – such a rate of population aging is registered in developed European countries, in Poland in 2022 it will be only 1.26 births per woman. But experts warn that in the case of India, we are dealing with the phenomenon of “getting old before getting rich” – for example, the per capita income in Andhra Pradesh is on average 28 times lower than per capita in Sweden. same birth rate. This means that providing older people with the social benefits they need will become even more difficult.
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Reforms that can divide India
Meanwhile, on top of the economic and social problems associated with an aging society, there is another problem – politics. In 2026, India is due to undergo a major overdue reform that will see the number of elected representatives from each state in India updated. Their number should be related to the current population so that each member of parliament represents the same number of voters.
This reform seems fair, but it has a deeper meaning. India's economically successful but underpopulated southern states fear that demographic change will erode their political influence in favor of the more backward but densely populated northern states.
India is currently the most populous country in the world
As noted in April in an interview with the tvn24.pl portal, Dr. Krzysztof Ivanek, India expert, lecturer, author of analyzes and books, including: “India. From a colony to a superpower. 1857-2013”, as a result of these reforms, “the south will lose many deputies and will be marginalized in the country”. – In other words, the southern part of India is being punished for its economic and social successes, – noted the expert.
Dr. Ivanek recalled that India has suffered from overpopulation for many years, which has led to the current population growth. – Therefore, the central authorities called on the state authorities to introduce appropriate demographic policies and limit this increase, including through sex education and popularization of contraception, – he noted. However, local bodies implemented these measures with varying degrees of success. The South has been very successful in reducing population growth. But the north, home of the Indian People's Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has not made these gains and is still struggling with overpopulation. The population from which the next BJP voters will be drawn.
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi Shutterstock
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