Chandrababu Naidu wants people in Andhra Pradesh to have more children. Not just one or two, but three or four children. 

And to encourage that, the AP government now says it will give Rs 30,000 for a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth.

Now at first, this may sound like one of those bizarre political statements that pop up every few months and disappear from the news cycle.

But Naidu's anxiety comes from a real place. South Indian states are worried about falling fertility rates, ageing populations, and even losing political influence in the future because they successfully controlled the population.

But asking people to simply “have more babies” may be one of the most misguided ways to respond to those problems.

Because population decline is not just about numbers. It is about whether people can actually afford to raise children. Whether schools, hospitals, childcare systems, and jobs are strong enough to support families. And whether governments are trying to solve structural problems with simplistic solutions.

So this week, let's look at who ultimately ends up paying the price for policies like these?

Let Me Explain.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, script by Lakshmi Priya, edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, camera by Ajay R.

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