Addressing reporters in his hometown of Naravaripalle, Tirupati, Naidu explained that under the new policy, individuals wishing to run for positions such as sarpanch, municipal councillor, corporation chairman, or mayor must have at least three children.
“At one time, individuals with many children were not allowed to contest the panchayat or local body elections. Now, I am saying that individuals with fewer children cannot contest. You will only be eligible to become a sarpanch, municipal councillor, or mayor if you have more than two children,” he stated.
Naidu also commented on societal changes regarding family sizes, noting that previous generations had larger families, while modern trends show a significant decrease in the number of children per family. He pointed out that some people today choose not to have children at all, stating, “Your parents bore four to five children, and now you’ve reduced it to one. Even smarter people today are saying ‘double income, no kids, let us enjoy.’ If their parents had thought like them, they wouldn’t have come into this world.”
Drawing comparisons to countries such as South Korea, Japan, and several nations in continental Europe, Naidu highlighted the growing concern of declining populations in these regions. He explained that these countries, focused on wealth creation and income growth, failed to recognize the long-term consequences of falling birthrates.
Earlier, Naidu had flagged the issue of declining birthrates and its potential impact on India’s future. He cautioned against repeating the mistakes of other nations, emphasising the need to manage population growth in the state, especially in light of the anticipated rise in the aging population.
In October 2024, Naidu called for a strategic approach to population management in Andhra Pradesh, warning that an imbalance in demographics could lead to challenges for the state’s social and economic systems.
