State pushes two-child policy as India remains on track to overtake China as most populous country

India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has proposed a two-child policy citing “limited ecological and economic resources.” The plan to discourage couples from having more than two children was announced July 10, 2021, and is the second proposed in a state governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Overpopulation has long been a pressing problem in India, causing social problems such as housing shortages and unemployment. In 2019, the United Nations predicted that India will overtake China to become the most populous country by 2027. In May 2021, some Chinese demographers said the shift may happen years sooner than the UN has predicted.