Hyderabad, Jan. 3 -- The Telangana Assembly on Saturday evening passed the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, abolishing the two-child norm that disqualified individuals with more than two children from contesting local body elections.
Introducing the Bill, Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka said the policy, first enacted in 1994, was aimed at controlling population growth during the 1980s and 1990s, a period marked by food insecurity, unemployment, and widespread poverty.
She said the government recently reviewed its population policy and found that Telangana's rural fertility rate has declined to 1.7, which is well below the replacement level of 2.1. Sustaining such a low fertility rate could pose challenges for future...