The Vishva Hindu Parishad has welcomed the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposed population incentive scheme. At the same time, the organisation has demanded that the benefits should be given only to Hindus.
The proposal was recently announced by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as part of efforts to address the state’s falling birth rate. According to the plan, families having a third child would receive an incentive of ₹30,000. Those having a fourth child would get ₹40,000.
Reacting to the proposal, VHP Bhagyanagar Kshetram secretary Thanikella Satya Ravikumar said the organisation fully supports the government’s intention to encourage larger families. He stated that Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a steady decline in population growth and claimed the current birth rate has dropped to nearly 1.5 percent.
Ravikumar argued that earlier government campaigns such as “Two children are enough” and later “One child is ideal” had a major impact on Hindu families. According to him, these campaigns reduced family sizes among Hindus over several decades.
He further claimed that Muslim population growth remained higher because of larger family structures and polygamy. He also alleged that Christian communities expanded through religious conversions. Based on these concerns, the VHP said the new scheme should be implemented only for Hindus in order to maintain what it described as demographic balance.
The organisation warned that a universal incentive scheme could mainly benefit communities that already have higher population growth rates. It urged the Andhra Pradesh government to issue a clear notification specifying that the incentives are meant exclusively for Hindus.
The demand has already triggered political and social debate. Critics are likely to question whether a welfare scheme funded by the state can be restricted on religious grounds. Supporters of the VHP, however, argue that the proposal is necessary to address changing demographic trends and protect Hindu population’s growth in the long term.
The Andhra Pradesh government has not yet issued detailed guidelines on how the proposed incentive scheme will be implemented.
