Sachin Pilot tables bill to scrap education criteria for panchayat polls

A bill to scrap minimum education qualification for contesting panchayat elections in Rajasthan was introduced in the state assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday after the new Congress government decided to rescind the measure introduced by the previous BJP dispensation. Rajasthan cabinet had recently approved the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The previous Vasundhara Raje government had introduced education criterion in 2015 which required a candidate to pass Class X for contesting zila parishad or panchayat samiti elections. For contesting elections for Sarpanch of a panchayat in scheduled and other than scheduled areas, it was mandatory to pass Class V and VIII respectively.

The amendment bill has been introduced in the House considering that the provisions of educational qualification create an unreasonable restriction on the right of people to contest election at the grassroots level, according to the state government.

(With inputs from agencies.)