Demographic dilemma

Inter-state migration will help

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The chief ministers of two southern Indian states, N Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh and M K Stalin of Tamil Nadu, have urged people in their states to have more children.

Mr Naidu, pointing to the troubles being faced owing to aging populations in Japan, China, and Europe, has pushed his Cabinet into doing away with the two-child cap for candidates to local bodies.

Shortly thereafter, Mr Stalin went one jump ahead of his counterpart by suggesting that residents of his state have 16 children.

Other chief ministers may well follow suit.

On the whole, it is not surprising that political trends are following the reality on the ground.

As Mr Naidu pointed out, the average fertility rate in southern states has already gone down to 1.6, and may well decline further.

This would indeed take large swathes of India into the demographic trap that countries like Russia and South Korea are facing.

However, it should be noted that there have been few policy successes across the world to draw upon.