The Andhra Pradesh government has abolished the rule that mandates, candidates with more than two children cannot run for local body elections. On Monday, they passed two new laws which include the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to change this rule.

This rule had been in place since May 1994 when the state government made it mandatory for people running for positions in local bodies like Gram Panchayats, Mandal Praja Parishads, and Zilla Parishads should not have more than two children. If a person had more than two children, they were not allowed to contest elections. The rule was introduced to control the population.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been suggesting that, after the successful implementation of family planning in the past, it is now important to encourage women and families to have more children. He believes this is necessary for the economy, meaning that having more children could help address challenges like an ageing population or a shrinking workforce, which could negatively impact economic growth.

In Andhra Pradesh, the total fertility rate (TFR) among women aged 15-49 years is currently 1.7 children per woman, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021. This rate is lower than the "replacement level" fertility, which is around 2.1 children per woman which is the number required to keep the population stable. The fertility rate in the state has decreased by 0.2 children compared to the previous survey (NFHS-4) from 2015-16. This decline suggests fewer children are being born per woman in recent years.

According to the survey, 77% of currently married women and 74% of men aged 15-49 in Andhra Pradesh either do not want any more children, are already sterilised, or have a spouse who is sterilised. Among those who still want another child, 22% of women and 26% of men prefer to wait at least two years before having the next child. Additionally, 91% of women and 86% of men believe that the ideal family size should be two or fewer children. This indicates a widespread preference for smaller families and family planning in the state.

Data shows the fertility rate in urban areas is 1.47 children per woman, and in rural areas is 1.78 children per woman which is considered below the replacement level.

The new bill says, “As the declining fertility rates, population stabilisation, and changing socio-economic conditions proved to be outdated and counterproductive, the government felt that repealing sections intended to control the population would promote inclusive governance, reflect contemporary social values, and align with global best practices and demographic trends.”