Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has opposed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to extend maternity leave for women government employees having a third child, arguing that public policy should not encourage larger families. The state government recently announced that women employees would be eligible for 365 days of maternity leave for their third child, compared with the existing 12 weeks. Chidambaram welcomed maternity benefits but disagreed with using them as a measure that could encourage higher birth rates.

Under the existing policy, women government employees in Tamil Nadu receive one year of maternity leave for their first and second children, while the provision for a third child is limited to 12 weeks. Chidambaram argued that maternity leave should be available to all working mothers, including those in the private sector. He also backed paternity leave, stressing that childcare should not be treated as the sole responsibility of women.

The Congress MP said the focus should instead be on building a smaller, healthier and highly educated population. He argued that families should be able to provide children with adequate education, healthcare and other opportunities before governments consider policies that could encourage larger families. Chidambaram also maintained that Tamil Nadu and India would benefit more from investing in human development than pursuing population growth for the sake of numbers.

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The debate comes as Tamil Nadu's fertility rate continues to remain below the replacement level. State Health Minister KG Arunraj said last month that Tamil Nadu's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stood at 1.3, down from 1.4 in 2025, while the replacement level is generally considered to be 2.1. India's overall TFR stands at 1.9. Asked whether the declining fertility rate in Tamil Nadu should be a concern, Chidambaram argued that he did not consider it a problem, reiterating his preference for a smaller and highly trained population.

Chidambaram has previously taken a similar position on population incentives announced by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's government had announced financial incentives of Rs 30,000 for families having a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child. Chidambaram criticised that approach as well, arguing that raising children in the 21st century involves substantial costs and that financial incentives or extended maternity leave alone would not address the broader challenges faced by families.

The Tamil Nadu government's decision has nevertheless received support from the DMK, the principal Opposition party in the state. DMK spokesperson A Saravanan welcomed the maternity leave extension and argued that similar benefits should also be made available to women in the private sector. He noted Tamil Nadu's long history of population control measures while suggesting that the new policy could provide additional support to women, although he acknowledged that it would directly benefit only a limited number of employees.

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