Andhra Pradesh offers ₹30,000, ₹40,000 as birth rate hits 1.4
Andhra Pradesh is rolling out cash rewards for bigger families as its birth rate hits a low of 1.4 children per woman, one of the lowest in India.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced ₹30,000 for a third child and ₹40,000 for a fourth, saying fewer kids are hurting the state's economy and productivity.
This follows last year's ₹25,000 incentive for two-child families.
Young women prefer jobs over cash
Not everyone's convinced. Many young women in cities like Visakhapatnam say jobs matter more than cash for having children.
Appalanarasamma, 62, points out that education and healthcare can cost over ₹2 lakh a year, way more than these incentives cover.
Activists worry this could pressure women into having more children instead of supporting their choices.
Experts suggest focusing on better jobs and support systems instead of just handing out money.