Hyderabad, March 4 -- The Telangana High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Monday, March 3, challenging the two-child norm for candidates contesting elections in Panchayat Raj institutions.

The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner, Avula Nagaraju, for filing the plea under the guise of public interest.

The petitioner argued that Section 21(3) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, which disqualifies individuals with more than two children from contesting elections for posts like sarpanches, should be abolished.

His counsel cited declining fertility rates and referenced China's shift to a three-child policy as reasons to reconsider the l...