Rajasthan Govt Clears Bill To Scrap 2-Child Norm For Panchayat, Urban Polls
· Free Press Journal
Jaipur: Amending the 30-year-old provision, the Rajasthan government has cleared the amendment bills to remove the two-children norm to contest panchayat raj and urban local body elections.
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These bills will be introduced in the current budget session of the legislative assembly.
The law and parliamentary affairs minister, Jogaram Patel, said that the cabinet has approved the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Amendment Bill 2026 and the Rajasthan Municipal Amendment Bill 2026. These amendments will allow individuals with more than two children to contest Panchayat and urban body elections.
#WATCH | Jaipur: Rajasthan Minister Jogaram Patel says, "The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act's Section 19 and the Rajasthan Municipalities Act 2009's Section 24 had and still have a provision that any person with more than two children would be declared ineligible to contest any… pic.twitter.com/8X47fm0Tfc
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On the question of whether the decision has been taken under the influence of right-wing outfits that are promoting having more than two children, the minister said, "When this provision was implemented, population control was a primary objective as there was a population explosion, but the situation has changed now. The fertility rate between 1991 and 1994 was 3.6, which has now declined to 2. Consequently, the direct impact of these provisions is diminishing. Besides this, it was a popular demand from all corners of the society that one should not be barred from contesting the elections just because he has more than two children.”
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The minister said that along with this, in compliance with the Supreme Court's decision, Section 24 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009, has been amended to remove the word “leprosy” from the category of dangerous diseases. This will provide equal opportunity for all individuals to contest the upcoming municipal elections and ensure the respect of leprosy patients.
In 1995, during the then Bhairon Singh Shekhawat-led BJP government, a provision was made prohibiting those with more than two children from contesting urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj elections. At that time, these provisions were added by amending the Panchayati Raj Act and the Rajasthan Municipality Act.