RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Calls for Larger Families Amid Concerns Over Falling Fertility Rates

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has raised concerns about India’s declining fertility rate, urging couples to have at least three children to prevent a potential population decline. Speaking at the Kathale Kul Sammelan in Nagpur on Sunday, Bhagwat warned of societal risks associated with a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) falling below 2.1, considered the replacement level necessary for generational continuity.

Referencing India’s population policies from 1998 and 2002, Bhagwat emphasized the need to maintain a robust growth rate. “As per the population policy, it was said that the population growth rate should not go below 2.1. Now, a human is not born in the 0.1 fraction, so it should be a minimum of three,” he said. He also underscored the family’s role as the foundation of society, where culture and values are nurtured and passed to future generations.

India’s TFR has declined significantly over the decades, from 3.4 in 1992-93 to 2 in 2019-21, with rural areas witnessing a sharper fall. While this aligns with global trends of declining fertility, prolonged rates below replacement level could result in population shrinkage and associated socioeconomic challenges.

Bhagwat’s comments resonate with concerns about aging populations, particularly in southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Leaders such as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin have also voiced alarm. Naidu has suggested offering incentives to families with more children, while Stalin humorously proposed having up to 16 children to counter declining birth rates.

However, Bhagwat’s advocacy contrasts sharply with policies in states like Assam, where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has championed a two-child norm. In 2021, Sarma announced that individuals with more than two children would become ineligible for government jobs and benefits, though exemptions were made for tea garden workers and SC-ST communities.

The conflicting viewpoints underscore the complexities of balancing population growth with resource management and development needs. While leaders in some regions push for larger families to sustain demographic and economic stability, others advocate curbing population growth to alleviate strain on resources and infrastructure.