Andhra Scrapped 2-Child Rule For Contesting Local Body Polls

Context

• The Andhra Pradesh government has repealed the three-decade-old “two-child rule” that barred individuals with more than two children from contesting local body polls.
• The rollback reflects the state’s concern over its ageing population and its intent to incentivize larger families.

Why Was the Policy Introduced?

• The policy was implemented to control population growth based on data from the 1981 and 1991 census, which showed India’s population growth as unsustainable.
• Recommendations from the National Development Council suggested discouraging large families to regulate population.
• It was introduced across many states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana between 1993 and 2005.
  • Example: States like Odisha implemented the policy in 1993 and extended it to local bodies in 1994.

Why Was the Policy Rolled Back?

• Ageing Population Concerns: With India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) already falling below the replacement level in most states (TFR < 2.1), policymakers are concerned about negative population growth in the long term.
  • For instance, while the national TFR is 2.1, Andhra Pradesh’s TFR is only 1.5, signalling a decline in the working-age population.
• Socio-Economic Impact: Policies like these led to unintended consequences, including skewed sex ratios and a decline in child rights.
  • The sex ratio at birth (SRB) fell to 880 girls per 1,000 boys between 2003 and 2005 in some areas, raising alarms over demographic imbalance.
• Policy Realignment: Andhra Pradesh, following states like Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, decided to abolish the rule to align population goals with changing realities.
  • The National Population Policy (2000) called for a free approach to reproductive health instead of coercive measures.

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