Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged Hindus in Assam to consider having at least two or even three children, citing a demographic imbalance in the state. During a media interaction in Sarbhog, located in lower Assam, Sarma highlighted that the childbirth rate among Muslims is higher than that among Hindus, whose birth rate is gradually declining. He expressed concern, stating, “If Hindus follow a single-child policy, there will be no one to look after their families in the future.”
Sarma also addressed Muslim communities, requesting them not to have excessively large families, mentioning “eight or seven children” as unsustainable. In December, the Assam government amended its Population and Women Empowerment Policy of 2017 to relax the two-child norm for specific communities including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, tea garden workers, as well as the Moran and Matak communities. This amendment allows individuals from these groups to apply for government jobs, run for elections, and access incentives from self-help groups even if they have three children.
In October, the state cabinet decided to exempt these communities from the strict two-child rule, a move Sarma described as vital to protect vulnerable populations that risk demographic decline. The Population and Women Empowerment Policy originally introduced the two-child norm in Assam. Subsequently, the Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, implemented in January 2021, enforced this policy, although it continues to apply to other communities in gaon panchayat elections as per a 2018 amendment.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/population-policies-shift-cm-sarma-encourages-hindus-to-increase-births-relaxations-in-norms-for-specific-communities-noted/articleshow/126257876.cms
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Publish Date: 2025-12-30 23:46:00
