Polity & GovernanceArticle 13 of 13

Rajasthan Assembly Repeals Two-Child Norm for Local Body Elections

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The Rajasthan Assembly passed a Bill to repeal the two-child norm for candidates contesting Urban Local Body (ULB) elections. Under the previous law, persons with more than two children were disqualified from contesting municipal elections. The repeal removes this decades-old restriction, aligning Rajasthan with states that have moved away from population-linked electoral disqualifications. Separately, the Rajasthan Cabinet approved a new vehicle scrapping policy and gave the green light for the revised cost proposal for the oil refinery at Pachpadra.

Key Facts & Details

7 points
  • 1
    Rajasthan repeals two-child norm for urban local body elections
  • 2
    Previously, candidates with more than two children were disqualified
  • 3
    Rajasthan Cabinet also approves new vehicle scrapping policy

Deep Dive

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    Several Indian states had implemented two-child norms for local body elections — Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and others
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    The Supreme Court in 2003 upheld the constitutional validity of such norms in Javed vs State of Haryana
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    Critics argued the norm disproportionately affected women, minorities, and rural poor
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    The Pachpadra refinery project is a major industrial initiative for southern Rajasthan
Q

Exam Focus

Likely MCQ: Which state repealed the two-child norm for local body elections in April 2026? → Answer: Rajasthan

Related Topics

Governance Policies

Exam Relevance & Angle

Important for Polity: State legislation, electoral disqualification norms, and governance reforms.

Target Exams

UPSC CSESSC CGLState PCSRRB NTPC

Background & Context

Population-linked electoral disqualification norms were introduced by several Indian states to incentivize family planning. Under these provisions, individuals with more than two living children were barred from contesting local body elections — panchayat and municipal.

The Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of such norms in the landmark case Javed & Ors. vs State of Haryana (2003), ruling that the two-child norm does not violate Articles 14, 21, or 25 of the Constitution.

However, critics have argued that such norms disproportionately impact women (who may not have reproductive autonomy), religious minorities, and rural communities. Several states have progressively repealed or diluted these norms.

The vehicle scrapping policy approved by the Rajasthan Cabinet is linked to the Centre's National Vehicle Scrappage Policy announced in 2021, which aims to phase out old, polluting vehicles through fitness-based scrapping and incentives for replacement.

Related GK Concepts

Must Know
Two-Child NormUrban Local BodyJaved vs State of HaryanaVehicle Scrappage PolicyElectoral DisqualificationArticle 14

Test Yourself

1 / 3

In which landmark case did the Supreme Court uphold the two-child norm for local body elections?

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UPSC CSE

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SSC CGL

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RRB NTPC

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Rajasthan Assembly Repeals Two-Child Norm for Local Body Elections — Current Affairs 2026-04-26