The Government of Assam announced a change in the 2017 Population and Women Empowerment Policy to strengthen the two-child norm for eligibility in government jobs, self-help groups (SHGs) and electoral participation.
However, some communities were allowed to have up to three children without losing access to government jobs and benefits and eligibility to stand for election to panchayats and urban local bodies. These groups are Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), “Tea Garden Tribes” and the Matak and Moran communities.
Assam’s Population and Women Empowerment (Amendment) Policy, 2025 will come into effect with immediate effect, according to a notification issued on December 5 by the state Department of Health and Family Welfare.
According to this notification, applicants with only two children will be eligible for government jobs and existing civil servants must strictly adhere to the two-child norm as a role model for the society.
It further states that individuals, male or female, who marry before reaching legal age will not be eligible for government jobs or government job creation programs.
The revised framework stipulates that SHG groups with members who uniformly adhere to the two-child policy (three children for communities enjoying relaxation) will receive special government incentives.
The notification said the government may make statutory provisions barring people with more than two children from participating in panchayat and municipal elections and consider similar statutory provisions for election or nomination to other statutory bodies and committees.
“Besides the two-child norm, the government may, to promote the creation of an educated society and population structure, fix minimum education as eligibility criteria for contesting elections to panchayats and urban local bodies,” the notification said.
“The Government of Assam will take up with the Government of India how to ensure that MLAs follow the norms of family planning. The two-child norm will be proposed as a benchmark for anyone contesting elections to the state legislature. In case any MLA from the state violates the norms of family planning, i.e. having more than two children, she may be disqualified from membership in future and may be expelled from her membership.
Published – 06 Dec 2025 21:27 IST
