CHENNAI: In one of his first and most consequential decisions as Chief Minister, Thalapathy Vijay on Tuesday ordered the closure of 717 liquor shops operating in violation of regulations across Tamil Nadu, directing that all such outlets be shut down within a fortnight. The order came on just the third day of his assuming office, signalling the new government's intent to prioritise public health and social welfare.

The directive covers shops run under the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), which currently operates 4,765 liquor outlets across the state. Of these, 717 have been identified by officials as functioning in contravention of established norms and are to be shuttered within 14 days.

Proximity to Sensitive Locations Cited

The closures are primarily targeted at outlets situated within 500 metres of schools, colleges, places of worship including temples, churches and mosques, as well as areas with heavy pedestrian and commuter traffic. The Chief Minister underscored that the decision was taken out of respect for public health, the future of students and the sentiments of pilgrims and devotees.

A Statement of Intent

Political observers noted that the swiftness of the decision — coming within 72 hours of the oath-taking ceremony — was a deliberate signal from the Vijay-led administration of its priorities. The move is expected to resonate strongly among voters in semi-urban and rural constituencies where liquor shops in the vicinity of educational institutions and religious centres have long been a source of public grievance.

Further policy measures on the liquor trade are widely anticipated as the new government consolidates its footing in the weeks ahead.

AMARAVATI, May 6: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday dismissed 51 doctors serving under the Director of Medical Education (DME) for remaining absent from duty without authorisation, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced, warning that the state would brook no further negligence in public medical institutions.

The dismissed doctors include eight Associate Professors, 41 Assistant Professors, and two Tutors — several of whom had been absent from their posts for periods ranging from one year to as long as six years. The action was taken under Rule 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules (Violation) — 1964, which empowers the government to treat prolonged unauthorised absence as deemed resignation.

"Show-cause notices were issued and adequate time was given to respond. Despite that, there was no response from these individuals," Satya Kumar Yadav said. "Those who are negligent in discharging their duties or who remain absent without authorisation will face strict action. There is absolutely no question of tolerating irresponsibility."

Absent for years, some since 2020

Among the Associate Professors dismissed, one attached to Andhra Medical College had been absent since February 7, 2020 — a period of over five years. Among the Assistant Professors, one had not reported for duty since August 22, 2022. The dismissed doctors belong to government medical colleges spread across the state, including those at Kadapa, Anantapur, Ongole, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Nellore, and Markapur.

Of the two Tutors dismissed, one had been absent for seven years — among the longest periods of unauthorised absence recorded in the exercise.

Charge memos bring eleven back to duty

The crackdown has already produced results in some cases. Eleven doctors who had been absent for under a year returned to duty after the DME issued charge memoranda. However, 33 others — comprising two Associate Professors and 31 Assistant Professors — have yet to report despite receiving notices, and face dismissal if they fail to join within the stipulated deadline.

In the Professor category, three individuals who had been absent for extended periods are expected to face similar punitive action shortly. Of five Professors served notices, two have since returned to duty.

Impact on patient care cited as primary concern

Officials noted that the prolonged absence of faculty from teaching hospitals had a direct and measurable impact on the quality of medical services available to patients. Many of the absentees had reportedly pursued private engagements while remaining on government rolls — a practice that had gone largely unchecked during the previous administration.

Following directions issued by the Minister, DME officials compiled detailed lists of absentees from across all government medical colleges before initiating formal proceedings under the applicable service rules.

The government has simultaneously indicated that vacancies arising from these dismissals will be filled promptly under its Zero Vacancy Policy, ensuring that the affected institutions are not left short-staffed in the interim.

With 33 more doctors yet to report and action pending against three Professors, further dismissals in the coming weeks appear likely.

AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to hold extensive programmes across the State to mark the International Yoga Day on June 21, with Minister for Medical and Health Satya Kumar Yadav chairing a preparatory meeting with AYUSH officials at the department's headquarters here on Monday evening.

Addressing officials at the meeting, Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav directed that awareness about the importance of yoga be deepened among the public at large. He instructed officials to actively involve students, government employees, and members of Yoga associations, Rotary clubs, Lions clubs, and other civil society organisations in the planned events.

The Minister also suggested convening a dedicated meeting with yoga trainers across the State to solicit their inputs on the conduct of the programmes, and emphasised that the activities must build substantively on those held last year.

A State-level event of considerable scale is proposed to be organised in Amaravati under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and officials were asked to prepare proposals accordingly. District-level Yoga Day programmes are to be conducted under the leadership of respective Collectors.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav noted that educational institutions are expected to reopen from the second week of June, following the summer vacation, and said that promoting awareness about yoga among students at that stage would yield wide-ranging benefits. He added that such initiatives would also contribute to the realisation of the State government's vision of Swarna Andhra Pradesh.

Report on last year's impact sought

The Minister enquired specifically into the scale and impact of programmes held on the occasion of International Yoga Day last year and directed AYUSH In-charge Commissioner Ronankhi Gopalkrishna to prepare a detailed report on the same.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Mantena Satyanarayana Raju, State Government Adviser on Yoga and Naturopathy, offered several important suggestions on the precautions and measures needed to effectively build public awareness through yoga and allied programmes.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav is expected to hold another round of discussions with officials shortly on the conduct of the Yoga Day events, and will also consult Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on the matter.

AMARAVATI, APRIL 29:In a significant shift from curative to preventive healthcare, the Andhra Pradesh Health Department has approved a comprehensive citizen health screening scheme under which each identified individual will undergo 47 different medical tests annually, delivered through 104 Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) deployed across the State.

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav gave his approval to the scheme on Wednesday. The initiative, which will entail an annual expenditure of ₹162.72 crore, is aimed at fulfilling a commitment made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to assess the current health status of citizens through comprehensive medical examinations and take preventive action before diseases set in.

Scope and coverage

Under the scheme, a total of 56.4 lakh persons will be screened every year. This includes individuals identified through the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) survey as either already suffering from or at risk of various ailments, as well as students residing in welfare and educational hostels.

A marked departure from earlier practice

Until now, the 104 MMUs conducted only six types of tests once every 15 days at the village level — random blood sugar, urine sugar, haemoglobin, a rapid diagnostic test for diseases such as malaria, urine albumin, and a pregnancy confirmation test. These tests were largely carried out using rapid kits that often yielded imprecise results. Individual disease profiles and electronic health records at the village, mandal, and district levels were not being maintained.

The revamped scheme will replace this limited framework with a battery of 47 tests across 11 health parameters for each identified individual. The tests include eight liver function tests (LFT), six urine analysis tests, five lipid profile tests, five white blood cell count tests, five red blood cell count tests, four electrolyte tests, three renal function tests (RFT), three glucose tests, two coagulation tests, one ESR test for infection markers, and five other tests.

Disease profiles and health records

Based on the results of these comprehensive tests, individual disease profiles and electronic health records will be prepared for each citizen. Under the Sanjeevani scheme, personalised advisories will be issued covering immediate precautions and long-term preventive measures. Minister Satya Kumar Yadav described the launch of this screening initiative as a step of considerable importance in safeguarding the health of the State's population.

Role of service provider

In the first phase, covering a period of five years, the service provider currently operating the 104 MMU services through a fleet of 904 vehicles will be required to install, at its own cost, a semi-automatic bio-chemistry analyser, a CBC machine with three-part analyser, a microscope, and an incubator in each vehicle. The provider will also supply the necessary reagents and consumables for conducting all 47 tests. Each vehicle is expected to screen 20 persons per day across 26 working days a month, covering 520 individuals monthly.

Swift rollout directed

Minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed senior health department officials to take immediate steps to operationalise the scheme at the earliest. Officials informed the Minister that efforts were underway to launch the services within two months.

AMARAVATI, APRIL 24: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav met Professor Y.Y. Teo of the Department of Public Health at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on the sidelines of his Singapore visit on Thursday, discussing ways to align the State's healthcare system with global standards.

Prof. Teo is a member of the high-level advisory council constituted by the State government to guide reforms in the health sector.

During the meeting, Mr. Yadav briefed Prof. Teo on the range of initiatives being undertaken by the Telugu Desam-led coalition government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to strengthen public health delivery in the State.

AI, digital records, and cancer screening

The minister outlined the State's adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare services for economically weaker patients, and the use of the NCD-04 programme for early detection of oral, breast, and cervical cancers through systematic screening. He also spoke about the ongoing development of electronic health records to consolidate patient data across the State's health network.

Mr. Yadav drew particular attention to the STEMI programme, under which patients arriving at government hospitals within the golden hour of a cardiac event are provided a costly clot-dissolving injection free of charge — a measure aimed at improving survival outcomes for heart attack patients who cannot afford private care.

Gates Foundation partnership

The minister also apprised Prof. Teo of the memorandum of understanding signed with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve healthcare delivery in the State, and the steps being taken in furtherance of that agreement.

Mr. Yadav urged Prof. Teo to offer specific recommendations and best-practice guidance that could be incorporated into the State's evolving health policy framework. Prof. Teo expressed satisfaction with the direction of the State government's approach to public health reform.

The meeting is expected to pave the way for deeper academic and technical collaboration between the State government and NUS in strengthening Andhra Pradesh's healthcare infrastructure in the coming years.

AMARAVATI, APRIL 24: Andhra Pradesh is intensifying its efforts to eliminate malaria, with Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Friday announcing a series of preventive measures ahead of the monsoon season and disclosing plans to seek the Centre's recognition of three districts as malaria-free zones.

Speaking on the eve of World Malaria Day, Mr. Yadav said the state government would shortly send proposals to the Union government to declare Bapatla, West Godavari, and Konaseema districts free of the disease. He added that no indigenous malaria cases had been recorded in these three districts for three consecutive years, and that the few cases detected there had been imported from outside.

Declining case load

The minister said the state had witnessed a steady decline in malaria cases since 2024–25. A total of 7,871 cases were reported that year, which fell to 7,199 in 2025–26. In the first 16 weeks of the current year, only 899 cases were registered, compared to 1,783 during the corresponding period last year — a drop of over 49 per cent. The state average stands at 0.15 cases per thousand population. However, the tribal districts of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam continue to bear a disproportionate burden, recording 3.46 and 1.95 cases per thousand respectively.

Mr. Yadav said that as part of the government's roadmap to significantly reduce malaria by 2030, a comprehensive indoor residual spray (IRS) programme was being rolled out. The IRS method involves spraying insecticides on interior walls and ceilings to kill mosquitoes that rest on these surfaces.

Spray programme

Spray operations have already been launched in high-incidence tribal districts — Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalli, and Polavaram — following Central government guidelines and keeping local geographical conditions in mind. The programme will be extended in a phased manner to 13 more districts from May 15, with completion targeted by August 30. The districts covered in this phase include Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Prakasam, Markapur, Nandyal, Annammayya, Sri Sathya Sai, Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Manyam, NTR, Tirupati, and Chittoor.

The spray intervention will be deployed specifically in villages where two or more cases are recorded per thousand population. The state government is spending approximately ₹4.80 crore on the procurement of insecticides — alpha-cypermethrin and malathion — and ₹4.5 crore on the conduct of the programme, with total expenditure on the IRS drive touching ₹10 crore annually.

Mosquito nets and awareness

The state has also begun distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets. Distribution is nearing completion in Alluri Sitarama Raju, Polavaram, and Manyam districts, with a plan to supply 2.55 lakh nets to 1.95 lakh families and student hostels across the state.

Central government officials have already trained state staff on the documentation and evidence required to submit malaria-free proposals. A Central team is expected to visit the three districts after receiving the state's proposals next month, following which the Union government is expected to issue a formal malaria elimination declaration.

The minister said awareness activities on malaria symptoms, prevention, and available healthcare services would be held across the state on the occasion of World Malaria Day on Saturday.

AMARAVATI, April 20: A total of 377 doctors have joined primary health centres (PHCs) and teaching hospitals across Andhra Pradesh as Medical Officers and Civil Assistant Surgeons, with women accounting for 232 of the new recruits — or 61.53 per cent of the total intake — Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced on Monday.

Of the newly joined doctors, 282 have taken charge as Medical Officers in PHCs while the remaining 95 have joined teaching hospitals as Civil Assistant Surgeons.

Recruitment process

The AP Medical Services Recruitment Board had issued a notification on behalf of the Director of Public Health to fill 630 Medical Officer posts on a permanent basis, against which 4,984 applications were received. Following scrutiny under prescribed rules, online counselling was conducted to fill 611 posts — excluding those reserved under the sports quota — from a finalised selection list. Of those called for counselling, 482 candidates registered their preferences.

234 posts to be filled shortly

However, 129 candidates did not exercise their options, and 105 others who received postings did not report for duty, leaving 234 posts vacant. The Director of Public Health has requested the Recruitment Board to furnish a fresh merit list of remaining eligible candidates from the original selection list drawn up under last year's notification. A revised list will be prepared in accordance with reservation rules and other applicable norms, and fresh online counselling will be conducted shortly. The coalition government has been taking continuous steps to ensure zero vacancy in public health posts, the Minister said.

District-wise distribution

Among the districts, Krishna, Nandyal, Palnadu, and Srikakulam recorded the highest intake, with 16 Medical Officers joining PHCs in each district. Kadapa, Eluru, and Konaseema districts saw 15, 14, and 13 doctors join respectively, while West Godavari, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anantapur, and Prakasam each received 12 new PHC Medical Officers.

In teaching hospitals, Kadapa led with 25 Civil Assistant Surgeons reporting for duty, followed by Kakinada and Kurnool with 13 each. Across tribal areas of the State, 37 doctors have joined service.

Vijayawada, April 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party's NTR District unit conducted a Janata Varadhi programme at the NTR District Collectorate on Monday, receiving petitions from the public on a range of civic and welfare issues, and subsequently submitted a memorandum to the District Collector urging the immediate operationalisation of defunct solid and liquid waste management units across the district.

The programme, organised under the leadership of BJYM NTR District president Sivakrishna Reddy, received petitions from aggrieved citizens on issues including widow pensions, old-age pensions and allotment of house sites. The complaints were duly recorded and forwarded to the concerned officials, with a demand for prompt redressal.

Later, BJP NTR District president Adduri Sriram, along with district general secretaries Ganesh and Govind, submitted a separate petition to the Collector drawing attention to the non-functional state of solid and liquid waste management units across the district. The leaders urged the administration to activate these units without delay, underlining their importance for both environmental protection and public health security. They demanded that the official machinery respond immediately and take necessary remedial measures.

The programme was attended by Yuva Morcha vice-president Jyothirmayi, general secretaries Sai and Chanakya, secretary Sanjay, treasurer Gayatri, mandal presidents Chaitanya, Nagadurga and Sreenu, and party workers Karthik, Yashwini, Harsith and Meghanath, among others.

AMARAVATI, April 14: A landmark research initiative to uncover the causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district has gathered momentum, with a dedicated team now collecting blood and urine samples from local residents and deploying biomarker testing — a method being used in the area for the first time — to detect early signs of renal deterioration.

The research team briefed State Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav on the progress at a review meeting here on Monday.

A specialised laboratory, equipped with centrifuges, deep freezers, sample storage systems, analytical instruments, and field sampling kits, has been set up at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam at a cost of approximately ₹80 lakh. Samples collected from residents are first stored at a kidney research centre in Palasa before being transferred to the KGH facility under controlled conditions.

So far, blood and urine samples have been collected from around 1,500 residents through a special multi-disciplinary team. A structured questionnaire is also being administered to gather information on family medical history and other epidemiological factors.

Early detection through biomarkers

The principal investigators — Dr. G. Prasad, Professor of Nephrology at Andhra Medical College, and his mentor, senior nephrologist Professor Tatapudi Raviraju — said that biomarker testing of urine samples would make it possible to identify individuals likely to develop kidney disease within three to four years, at a micro level, well before clinical symptoms manifest.

"Mass biomarker screening of this nature for CKD patients is being undertaken for the first time," Dr. Raviraju said. The results, he added, would enable patients to take precautionary measures and allow clinicians to initiate early intervention, thereby preventing deterioration of kidney function. Genetic testing using RNA sequencing (RNAseq) will also form part of the research.

ICMR grant, research background

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), under its Department of Health Research, approved a grant of ₹6.2 crore in November last year for a three-year study into the high prevalence of CKD in Uddanam. The approval followed sustained efforts by Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav to secure central support for the investigation.

The research was originally initiated during the previous Telugu Desam Party government (2014–19), when the George Institute for Global Health, Australia, was engaged as the research partner. However, the initiative was subsequently suspended during the YSRCP administration. The present alliance government revived the effort following its return to power.

The research team assured the Minister that the study is progressing according to a defined timeline and is expected to be completed within the stipulated three-year period.

Uddanam, a coastal belt spanning several mandals in Srikakulam district, has for decades reported disproportionately high rates of kidney failure, often affecting individuals in their productive years. The cause of the disease cluster has remained poorly understood, with hypotheses ranging from contaminated groundwater to pesticide exposure.

Over 33% of target beneficiaries inoculated so far; vaccination centres to remain operational through May, says Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav

AMARAVATI : The Central government has dispatched an additional 1,90,890 doses of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to Andhra Pradesh, reinforcing the state's ongoing drive to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer, Health and Medical Minister Satyakumar Yadav announced on Monday.

The fresh consignment follows an earlier batch of 1,90,800 doses supplied last month under the first instalment of the Central government's HPV vaccination initiative, taking the total doses received by the state to 3,81,780. The vaccine is being administered to girls in the 14 to 15 age group as part of a targeted public health intervention aimed at preventing cervical cancer.

Mr. Yadav said authorities were taking steps to distribute the newly arrived doses to districts in proportion to the number of eligible girls in each area. He confirmed that vaccination centres across the state would continue to function without interruption through May, and added that the completion of Class X public examinations was expected to further accelerate the pace of inoculation as school-going girls became more accessible.

Over One Lakh Girls Vaccinated So Far

According to data compiled from village and ward secretariats, there are approximately 3.45 lakh girls in the state who have completed 14 years of age but have not yet turned 15 — the designated target group for the current phase of the drive. Of these, 1,14,512 girls, representing 33.19 per cent of the total, had received the vaccine by Monday afternoon.

Among the districts, Kurnool recorded the highest number of beneficiaries at 6,785, followed closely by Nellore at 6,726, YSR district at 6,725, and Anantapur at 6,655. At the other end of the spectrum, Polavaram district reported the lowest coverage with 669 girls vaccinated, followed by Alluri Sitarama Raju district at 1,063, Sri Sathya Sai at 2,769, and Anakapalli at 2,959.

Cold Chain Infrastructure and Safety Protocols

The vaccine is being administered at 1,645 primary and urban health centres across the state that have been identified as having adequate cold chain storage facilities. Health officials said girls were being observed for 30 minutes after receiving the shot as a standard precautionary measure, and that no adverse reaction cases had been reported thus far.

In keeping with Central government directives, 500 doses from the first consignment were separately dispatched to Yanam. Officials noted that Andhra Pradesh was among the states in the forefront of implementing the Central guidelines on HPV vaccination, describing the initiative as a critical step towards reducing the burden of cervical cancer.

Mr. Yadav reiterated that the HPV vaccine was both safe and effective and urged parents to ensure that eligible girls in the target age group availed themselves of the free vaccination at the nearest health centre before the current drive concluded.

State climbs from 12th place to first in nine months; special focus on HIV testing in prisons, vulnerable institutions cited as key factor

AMARAVATI, APRIL 2: Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the top-ranked state in the country in HIV prevention and control, with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) recognising the Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society (AP SACS) as the best-performing state AIDS control body for the nine-month period from April to December 2025-26. The development was announced by State Health and Medical Minister Satya Kumar Yadav.

AP SACS secured a score of 107 out of 141 across 33 designated performance indicators, translating to a score of 75.9 per cent — surpassing all other states in the country. The achievement is particularly significant given the state's trajectory: AP SACS was ranked seventh on the same parameters during the corresponding period in 2024-25, and had slipped to 12th place by the close of that financial year.

A Steady Climb Through the Year

The turnaround has been swift and consistent. In the first quarter of 2025-26 (April to June), AP SACS secured second position. It then rose to first place in both the second quarter (July to September) and the third quarter (October to December), consolidating its lead in the cumulative nine-month ranking. NACO evaluates and publishes a cumulative scorecard for all state AIDS control bodies every quarter in accordance with its established guidelines.

Minister Satya Kumar Yadav attributed the improved performance to a series of planned and targeted interventions undertaken by the alliance government from the beginning of the 2025-26 financial year, aimed at strengthening HIV case management and improving the quality of care extended to those affected.

Focus on Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups

AP SACS Project Director (in-charge) Roninki Gopalakrishna highlighted that the state had achieved full compliance — a perfect score — on several critical indicators. These included conducting regular HIV diagnostic tests for inmates in central, district, and sub-jails, as well as for residents of orphanages, juvenile homes, and women who have been victims of trafficking.

The state also received high scores for its effective coordination with 36 non-governmental organisations working with high-risk groups, the operation of de-addiction centres catering to intravenous drug users, and the performance of Disha surveillance centres at the district level.

Out of the total 33 indicators, AP SACS recorded a lead position in 25, underlining the breadth of its performance improvement rather than gains confined to select categories.

Significant Decline in New Infections

Beyond institutional rankings, the data points to a broader public health achievement. Between 2010 and 2025, Andhra Pradesh recorded a 76.9 per cent reduction in new HIV infections — considerably higher than the national average decline of 48 per cent over the same period. Officials described this as a particularly noteworthy outcome that reflects sustained efforts over more than a decade.

Mr. Gopalakrishna expressed confidence that AP SACS would maintain its momentum through the remainder of the financial year and continue to serve as a model for other states in the national HIV control programme.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav on Monday sounded a sharp warning over the state's sharply declining fertility rate, calling it a new kind of population time bomb that could trigger severe economic and social consequences if left unaddressed. In a detailed statement released here, the Minister said the state's Total Fertility Rate — the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime — had fallen to an alarming 1.50, well below the replacement level of 2.10 required for population stabilisation.

Announcing that the state government had formulated a new Population Stabilisation Policy Framework, the Minister said the document would be placed in the public domain shortly, on the directions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, for wide consultation among citizens, media, and other stakeholders.

A Demographic Shift in the Making

Presenting a sobering statistical picture, the Minister said the state's population growth rate had declined from 7.10 per cent during 2011–15 to 1.70 per cent at present, and was projected to fall further to 0.30 per cent by 2035 if the current trend continued. The fertility rate, which stood at 1.68 not long ago, has already slipped to 1.50 and risks declining further without corrective intervention.

The Minister pointed to a widening generational imbalance. The median age of Andhra Pradesh's population currently stands at 32.50 years, compared to the national median of 28 years — a gap that he said illustrated how much faster the state's population was ageing relative to the rest of the country.

Projections underlying the new policy framework paint a stark picture: the share of children below 14 years in the state's population, which stood at 25 per cent in 2011, is expected to fall to 15 per cent by 2036. Simultaneously, the proportion of those above 60 years is projected to nearly double from 10 per cent to 19 per cent by 2036, and rise further to 23 per cent by 2047 — a trajectory that the Minister warned would seriously impede the state's Swarna Andhra development goals.

"If the present trend continues, the demographic dividend we currently enjoy will disappear by 2040, and we will instead be burdened with a rapidly ageing population," the Minister cautioned.

A New Policy Direction

Marking a significant departure from decades of population control policy, the new framework shifts its focus from limiting family size to creating conditions under which families voluntarily choose to have more children. The Minister said the earlier policy of state-directed family planning targets had run its course and that the time had come to build a supportive environment for larger families.

The framework is built around five pillars — Matrutva (maternal and child health), Sanjeevani (lifelong health monitoring through individual health records), Shakti (women's empowerment), Kshema (dignified and productive ageing), and Naipunya (skill development across life stages) — each designed to reinforce the other in a mutually supportive architecture.

Women's Empowerment at the Centre

The Minister underlined that women's empowerment was central to the success of the new policy. The framework aims to raise women's participation in the workforce from the current level to 60 per cent — an increase of over 25 percentage points — over the next decade, which the government estimates would contribute a 15 per cent increase in the state's Gross State Domestic Product.

The policy also proposes to bring down the proportion of women undergoing sterilisation from the current 70 per cent to 50 per cent within five years, and to extend free infertility treatment services to the estimated 12 lakh families in the state facing fertility-related challenges.

Chief Minister's Initiative

Attributing the policy initiative to Chief Minister Naidu's foresight in anticipating long-term demographic challenges, the Minister said the framework had emerged from the Chief Minister's thinking on proactively addressing problems before they reached a point of no return.

The Minister called on the public, media, and civil society to engage actively with the policy document once released, and to support the building of a broader social movement around population stabilisation. "The next ten years are critical. We must achieve a fertility rate of 2.10 by 2035 to lay the foundation for a stable and prosperous Andhra Pradesh," he said.