Aspirant Academy
ENHI

RAS question

Consider the following statements regarding Rajasthan's amendment to local body election laws in March 2026: 1. The amendment removed the two-child norm originally introduced in 1995 under CM Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. 2. The amendment only applies to Panchayati Raj institutions and not to urban local bodies. 3. The amendment also removed disqualification based on leprosy for electoral candidates. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct answer: (C) 1 and 3 only.

Rajasthan's March 2026 local body election amendments removed the 1995 two-child disqualification and the leprosy-based disqualification, and they covered both Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.

  1. (A)

    1 and 2 only

  2. (B)

    2 and 3 only

  3. (C)

    1 and 3 only

  4. (D)

    1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Only statements 1 and 3 are correct. The two-child norm was introduced in 1995 under Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, and the 2026 amendments removed that disqualification for candidates in local body elections. The cited account says the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly amended both the state's Panchayati Raj law and its municipal law, so the change was not confined to Panchayati Raj institutions; it also applied to urban local bodies. The same reform removed leprosy-based disqualification, aligning the law with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and anti-discrimination principles. Therefore, statement 2 fails, while statements 1 and 3 stand.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Option A wrongly includes statement 2, because the amendment covered both Panchayati Raj institutions and municipal bodies, not Panchayati Raj institutions alone.
  • (B) Option B omits statement 1, although the removed two-child norm was the 1995 rule introduced under Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
  • (D) Option D treats all three statements as correct, but statement 2 is false because urban local bodies were also covered by the municipal law amendment.

Concept

This tests Rajasthan local self-government and electoral disqualifications, a recurring RAS area because state amendments often alter who can contest Panchayati Raj and municipal elections. It also links statutory eligibility rules with disability-rights and anti-discrimination reforms.

Source

Related questions