The Rajasthan government has confirmed in the Legislative Assembly that there are no current proposals to enforce educational qualifications for candidates participating in urban local body elections. The government is, however, in the process of eliminating the restriction on candidates with more than two children from contesting, as per the Law Department. This clarification was made in response to a question raised by Congress MLA Pusaram Godara, marking the government’s first written stance on these matters.
Discussions were previously held on the topic of introducing educational requirements for candidates, but the proposal did not garner consensus due to opposition from various public representatives. Consequently, there are no immediate plans to alter the existing rules, allowing illiterate candidates to continue their eligibility to run for elections. The Rajasthan Municipal Act, 2009, specifically Section 21, which dictates candidate qualifications for urban local body elections, does not currently include any provisions regarding educational prerequisites, and there are no proposed amendments in this regard.
In terms of the two-child norm, the government has forwarded a proposal to amend Section 24 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009, aiming to eliminate the clause disqualifying candidates with more than two children from contesting elections. The proposal is currently in progress within the Law Department. Congress MLA Pusaram Godara had inquired about the government’s intentions regarding educational qualifications and the two-child policy for candidates in urban local body elections.
