Rajasthan Assembly passes Bill to scrap two-child norm for panchayat elections

The Rajasthan Assembly on Monday (March 10, 2026) passed a Bill to scrap the provision for disqualifying the candidates with more than two children from contesting the Panchayati Raj elections. The legal provision was introduced in the State in 1995 during the government led by former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was passed in the House after an acrimonious debate, in which the Opposition Congress MLAs questioned the need for reversing the decision taken three decades ago. The Congress members also demanded to know when the panchayat elections, pending for more than a year, would be held.

The Bill, passed with a voice vote, amended Section 19 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, while eliminating the two-child norm which earlier barred the individuals from contesting the polls. The provision applied to both Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.

Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar said the provision was made as a “population control measure” when there was a high fertility rate of 3.6 during 1991-94. “The fertility rate has dropped to 2.0, driven by family planning, social change, women’s literacy and health care. The restriction on contesting polls has become irrelevant now,” Mr. Dilawar said.

The Bill’s statement of objects and reasons also said a large number of persons having the ability to inspire and serve the public and a vision to lead the village panchayats were not getting an opportunity to become panchayat members because of having more than two children. The amendment to the Act would remove the disqualification, it stated.

Participating in the debate on the Bill, Congress MLA and Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said the State government had decided to make the change “without any clear vision” and brought the amendment under pressure from some elected representatives.

“Has the population control been achieved or has the Centre changed its policy? The population is continuously increasing and there is very little awareness about it in the rural areas,” Mr. Dotasra said. He demanded that the State government explain the rationale behind abolishing the two-child norm.

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The Congress MLAs said the Bharatiya Janata Party government, which had raised the slogan of ‘one State, one election’, was not willing to conduct the panchayat elections despite the Rajasthan High Court’s direction to hold them by April 15. Congress chief whip Rafiq Khan said the delimitation of panchayats had been carried out with the violation of norms.

Following the Governor’s assent to the Amendment Bill, the child-related eligibility restriction will be removed for the posts such as ward panch, Sarpanch, Panchayat Samiti member, Zila Parishad member, Pradhan and Zila Pramukh. The grassroots leaders earlier disqualified under the rule will be able to contest elections in the villages.