Telangana saw the country’s sharpest drop in births over the last five years; to scrap two

Synopsis : The Telangana Cabinet formally approved the removal of the “two-child norm” under Section 21(3) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. The decision follows a sharp decline in Telangana’s birth registration, which stood out even in a nation undergoing demographic transition.

On 23 October, the Telangana Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, formally approved the removal of the “two-child norm” under Section 21(3) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018.

The rule, which disqualified individuals with more than two children from contesting rural local-body elections, will be deleted through an ordinance since the Assembly is prorogued, subject to the Governor’s approval.

It marks the end of a policy that began in 1994 — a full 31 years ago — when the erstwhile