Relevance: GS II (Governance & Social Justice) | Source: The Hindu / Indian Express
1. What is the Big News?
The Rajasthan State Cabinet has taken a historic step to cancel a 30-year-old law known as the “two-child norm.”
- The Old Rule: Since 1995, any citizen having more than two children was strictly banned from fighting local village or city elections.
- The Change: The government feels this rule is now outdated. Soon, new bills will be passed to allow everyone to fight local elections, regardless of their family size.
2. Which Laws are Being Changed?
To remove this ban, the state government will change two specific laws:
- For Villages: The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.
- For Cities: The Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009.
3. Why Remove the Ban Now? (The Real Reasons)
The government decided to stop this forced rule for three simple reasons:
- Target Achieved: In the early 1990s, an average woman in Rajasthan had about 3.6 children. Today, that number has naturally dropped to just 2.0. The population is no longer exploding.
- No Need for Force: Families are now voluntarily choosing to have fewer children due to better awareness and education. Therefore, a legally forced ban is no longer required.
- Fairness for the Poor: Social workers argued that this old rule was highly unfair. It mostly punished poor, uneducated citizens who lacked access to family planning, snatching away their basic right to become local leaders.
4. Why is this Important?
- True Democracy: Removing this barrier makes local elections truly open to everyone. It strengthens the real spirit of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.
- Policy Shift: It shows a mature shift in governance. The state is moving away from “forced” population control towards a more voluntary, human-rights-based approach.
UPSC Value Box
| Concept | Explanation |
| Total Fertility Rate (TFR) | The average total number of children a woman will give birth to during her entire lifetime. |
| Replacement Level (2.1) | The “magic number” (2.1). If a country’s TFR is 2.1, its population perfectly balances itself—it is neither growing too fast nor shrinking. India’s national TFR is now safely at 2.0. |
| 73rd & 74th Amendments | The historic changes to the Constitution in 1992 that gave official power and election rules to rural Panchayats and urban Municipalities. |
With reference to population policies and local governance in India, consider the following statements:
- The ‘Replacement Level Fertility’ is internationally recognized as a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of exactly 2.1.
- The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments established a uniform, mandatory “two-child norm” across all states for contesting local body elections.
- According to recent national data, India’s overall Total Fertility Rate has successfully fallen below the replacement level.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: (c)
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