The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly passed the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on March 9, 2026, scrapping the 31-year-old two-child norm that had barred individuals with more than two children from contesting Panchayati Raj elections. The amendment modifies Section 19 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.
The two-child policy had been introduced in 1994–95 during the tenure of Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as a population control measure, disqualifying candidates with more than two children from posts such as ward panch, sarpanch, panchayat samiti member, zila parishad member, pradhan, and district head. The bill also removes the disqualification based on leprosy — a colonial-era stigma — from both Panchayati Raj and municipal laws.
Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar cited declining population growth rates, rising female education and awareness, and the irrelevance of the 1994-era provision in the current demographic context as justifications for the amendment. The bill aligns Rajasthan with the national trend: 14 states have already removed the two-child norm from local body election eligibility criteria.
The bill now awaits the Governor's assent before a gazette notification makes it law. The amendment is significant for RPSC RAS aspirants as it directly impacts electoral democracy, Panchayati Raj governance, and Rajasthan's demographic and social policy landscape.