You might look at India — the most populous country in the world, boasting about 1.5 billion people all told — and think, "Gee, they don't have a fertility problem!"
But their birth rates have been on the same downward trend as everyone else's — even more so, really:
And the problem has become so acute that the country's leaders are now offering, um, incentives for women to have more babies:
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Vizianagaram MP Kalisetty Appalanaidu's offer of giving Rs 50,000 or a cow to women for having a third child is causing ripples in Andhra Pradesh. The MP, speaking at an event on the occasion of International Women's Day, announced that if a woman gives birth to a third child who is a girl, Rs 50,000 will be paid to her from his salary, and if that child is a boy, a cow will be handed over to her.
Live look outside of the New Delhi General Hospital maternity ward:
Honestly, the cow seems like the better deal. Rs 50,000 is just about $575 USD, and I feel like you could get more value out of livestock than that.
Shame that most Indians won't enjoy the cow in its purest form:
Leaders in India are even offering more fertility incentives beyond money and cows, meanwhile:
At a programme organised at Markapur in the Prakasam district, CM Naidu had announced that maternity leave would be granted for all women employees during child delivery time irrespective of the number of children they have. Sending a message to all the women, the CM reiterated that they should have as many children as possible to increase the youth population in the state in the coming years.
Maternity leave, free cows — moms can't really pass that deal up!
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
