Tamil Nadu’s TVK government has announced 365 days of maternity leave for women government employees having a third child, up from 12 weeks and bringing it on par with the leave available for the first two children.

The move follows the Supreme Court’s May 2025 judgment that maternity benefits cannot simply be denied because a woman has a third child. But the decision has opened up a much bigger debate around women’s rights, declining fertility, ageing populations and the politics of delimitation.

Tamil Nadu and other southern states have lower fertility rates, while concerns over future political representation have brought demographics into sharper focus. But should women be expected to carry the burden of addressing population decline?

We debate whether the move is primarily a women’s rights measure or part of a larger demographic response, with questions around childcare, workforce participation, family choices and preparing for an ageing society.