New Delhi, Sept 19: Have a better sex at workplace; fight the dwindling birth rate of the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his countrymen.
With the depleting birth rate which fell much below the 2.1 mark, Putin advised people to have sex at work during breaks to tackle the situation.
Putin’s vision later came up as government’s directive as the current fertility rate in the country stands at approximately 1.5 children per woman, far below the 2.1 needed for population stability, according to reports of key Russian Media houses.
The population crisis in the nation was exacerbated by the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, amid which several Russians, mostly young, have fled the country out of fear.
Following the alarming report and the subsequent perspective of Putin, Russian Health Minister Dr Yevgeny Shestopalov echoed President Putin's message, stating that work should not have to be an obstacle for people to expand their families. "Being very busy at work is not a valid reason, but a lame excuse," he reportedly said.
When asked about the people who work long hours, Shestopalov urged them to use their lunch and coffee breaks to procreate. "Make babies during break times. You can engage in procreation during breaks because life flies by too quickly," he told media persons.
This is one of the measures proposed by the USSR to improve the fertility rate and population of the nation. At the beginning of 2024, the country witnessed the lowest-ever birth rate in 25 years. In June, births in Russia dropped below 1 lakh for the first time.The birth rate is now at a terribly low level — 1.4 births. This is too lower than the population and birth rate as comparable to European countries and even Japan.
According to the birth registration database, in the Chelyabinsk region, women under the age of 24 are offered a payment of 102 thousand Rubles (₹9.40 lakh) upon the birth of their first child. In Moscow, the government urged women between 18-40 years old to undergo free fertility screenings.
Apart from the social measure as a frantic step forward to escalate the birth rate, the USSR government has restricted institutional abortion, restricted divorce of couples and eased health check up for fertilization.
According to some ace social scientists, USSR is also looking for working out some other prevalent innovations and socio-cultural solutions to battle the birth rate crisis by hint or dint.
Putin’s new message to enhance child birth rate though invited a tough criticism worldwide, will yield magic in the time to come, if the couples, youths and working class people utilize their breaks with theier wives, girlfriends and fiancées.
