Rajasthan ends minimum educational qualification criteria for contesting in local body polls

JAIPUR: Days after coming to power, the new Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan on Thursday removed the compulsory education qualification criteria for a candidate to contest in local body polls.

In 2015, the previous Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government has introduced education criteria for those contesting in local polls. Candidates must have at least Class X degree for contesting municipal, zila parishad or panchayat samiti elections. 

The Rajasthan cabinet approved two amendments bills - Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the Rajasthan Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2019 - to end the minimum educational qualification condition 

On Thursday, the Rajasthan cabinet approved two amendments bills - Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the Rajasthan Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2019 - to end the minimum educational qualification condition.

Both the bills will be introduced in the state assembly during the present session, read a statement.

In wake of agitation by the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) aspirants over extention of the examination date, the cabinet has also decided to ask the state public service commission to extend the date of the main examination.