The BJP government in Rajasthan, led by Bhajan Lal Sharma, is preparing to issue an ordinance to remove the two-child restriction for candidates in panchayat and urban local body elections. This policy, first introduced on November 27, 1995, disqualified individuals with more than two children from contesting rural and urban civic polls under the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act and the Rajasthan Municipalities Act. The amendment is expected before upcoming local elections. State ministers cite demands from rural areas and argue that public representatives, whose terms last only five years, deserve the same relaxations already granted to government employees. Rights activists express concern that the decision may increase pressure on women to have more children, particularly in rural communities. The Opposition Congress, whose own leaders may benefit, has not strongly opposed the move but questions the BJP's reversal of a policy introduced by their own former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat three decades ago.
Understanding the Two-Child Norm and Its Planned Removal
On November 27, 1995, the Rajasthan Assembly amended the Panchayati Raj Act and Municipalities Act, barring people with more than two children from contesting local elections. Those who had a third child before this date were exempted. The policy aimed at population control during a time when large families were common, especially in rural areas. State Urban Development Minister Jabbar Singh Kharra explained that rural areas have long demanded relaxation of this rule. Since government employees already received similar relief regarding promotions, public representatives also deserve it. The ordinance will likely take effect before the next local polls, though rights activists warn it may pressure women to bear more children and question the timing of this policy reversal.
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