Published: 3 March 2026Social News XYZ / The Hans India / ProKerala / Asianet NewsableRajasthan
Rajasthan Assembly Passes Bill to Scrap 30-Year-Old Two-Child Norm for Panchayati Raj and Municipal Elections
On March 9, 2026 (with cabinet approval preceding it around early March), the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly passed the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, repealing a nearly 30-year-old two-child norm that barred individuals with more than two children from contesting elections to Panchayati Raj institutions. The Rajasthan Municipal (Amendment) Bill, extending the same change to urban local body elections, was also passed.
The amendment modifies Section 19 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, removing the eligibility disqualification for posts such as ward panch, sarpanch, panchayat samiti member, zila parishad member, pradhan, and district head. Additionally, the disqualification for individuals with leprosy was also removed.
The two-child norm was originally introduced in 1995 under Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as a population control measure. The Rajasthan Cabinet, under CM Bhajanlal Sharma, cleared the proposal first, recognising that the socio-demographic context had fundamentally changed. The repeal aligns with the Supreme Court's evolving jurisprudence, which has cautioned against such norms disenfranchising voters, and reflects the national trend following similar reforms in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The reform is significant for Rajasthan, where rural Scheduled Caste and Tribal communities often have larger family sizes, thus being disproportionately excluded by the old norm.
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Frequently asked questions
Which bills did the Rajasthan Assembly pass in March 2026 regarding local body elections?
The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Municipal (Amendment) Bill 2026, which removed the two-child norm as an eligibility condition for contesting local body elections.
Which section of which act did the two-child norm in Rajasthan originate from, and when was it introduced?
The two-child norm was part of Section 19 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act 1994, introduced during the Bhairon Singh Shekhawat government in 1995 as a population control measure.
Which elections can a person with more than two children now contest in Rajasthan after the 2026 amendment?
After the amendment, any person regardless of number of children can contest ward panch, sarpanch, panchayat samiti, zila parishad, and municipal elections in Rajasthan.
What was the Supreme Court's stance on the two-child disqualification norm for local body elections?
The Supreme Court upheld such disqualification norms in multiple judgments, most notably in Javed v. State of Haryana (2003), ruling them constitutionally valid as population control measures.
Which other states had already removed or relaxed the two-child norm before Rajasthan did so in 2026?
States like Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh had already removed or relaxed similar two-child norms for local body elections before Rajasthan's 2026 amendment.
