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Society

India's big states look to push 2-child policy with carrots and sticks

Proposals call for incentives including higher pay, job assistance and utility rebates

Migrant workers and their families board a bus in Uttar Pradesh. India is on track to be home to more than 1.5 billion people by 2030, becoming the world's most populous country.   © Reuters

TOKYO -- With India on pace to become the world's most populous country by the end of the decade, some states are looking to slam the brakes on population growth through incentives that reward couples for having no more than two children.

The controversial policy proposals, which include penalties for bigger families, are being driven by worries that a swelling population will put further strain on a tight job market, as well as supplies of food, electricity and other necessities. 

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