Catholic leaders in India have lauded the chief minister of a southern state for raising the issue of falling birth rates in the world’s most populous country and urged the government to encourage couples to have more kids. “A young and vibrant population is an asset for any country and its decline is a matter of serious concern for everyone,” said Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) spokesperson Father Robinson Rodrigues. Andhra Pradesh chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, raised concern over declining birth rates in his own constituency and said last week that “India should not repeat the mistakes committed by other countries such as South Korea and Japan.” Naidu, who represents the city of Kuppam in the state legislature, was shocked to find the birth rate in his constituency had fallen to 1.5 – below the national average of 2. India’s current demographic dividend could last till 2047, but “if less than two children are born [per woman], then the population will fall [in the future],” the chief minister said. Naidu said the decline was “a worrying trend and needed a nationwide discussion on population management.”