The Andhra Pradesh government has revoked the two-child rule for individuals seeking to contest local body elections. On Monday, the state assembly approved the AP Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the AP Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which put an end to the long-standing restriction, as reported by NDTV.

In May 1994, the two-child policy was implemented, requiring individuals running for election to Gram Panchayats, Mandal Praja Parishads, and Zilla Parishads to have no more than two children. The policy was introduced to control population growth, disqualifying candidates who had more than two children. The policy has outlived its usefulness, according to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who led the reform. "After the earlier successful implementation of family planning, it is time to incentivise women and families to have more children," he said, calling it an economic imperative.  

The decision comes in response to concerns about the state's declining fertility rate. According to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-21, Andhra Pradesh's total fertility rate is 1.7 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1. This marks a decline from the previous rate of 1.9 recorded in NFHS-4 (2015-16). In urban regions, the fertility rate is even lower at 1.47 children per woman, whereas in rural areas, it stands at 1.78. These figures highlight the need for policies that address the demographic challenges, as more than 77% of currently married women and 74% of men aged 15-49 either do not wish to have more children, are sterilised, or have a sterilised spouse.

Among individuals contemplating having another child, 22% of women and 26% of men wish to postpone childbirth for at least two years. Additionally, a significant majority, 91% of women and 86% of men consider two or fewer children to be the ideal family size. “As declining fertility rates, population stabilisation, and changing socio-economic conditions proved to be outdated and counterproductive, the government felt that repealing sections intended to control the population would promote inclusive governance, reflect contemporary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,” said the Bills.