What is “Maharashtra’s two-child norm” for govt employees?

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A woman officer from the Maharashtra Prison Department has three children. But she suppressed that information to the authorities during the inquiry. As this is a violation of  Maharashtra Civil Services rules, she was dismissed from service recently.

About Maharashtra’s two-child norm for Government Employees:

• Maharashtra’s two-child norm for govt employees has been specified under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Declaration of Small Family) Rules,2005.
• The rules make the Small Family norm an additional essential requirement for Groups A, B, C, D of the Maharashtra government employees.
• It mandates filing a small family declaration at the time of applying for a government job.
• It defines a small family as wife, husband and two children. The definition of child under these rules does not include adopted children.
• Further, the rules specify that a person is not eligible for a job with Maharashtra Government if he or she has more than two children after 2005 (date of commencement of rule).
• The rules also provide that if one or more than one child is born in a single delivery within a year of the commencement. Then it shall not be considered for the disqualification of the rules.
• Further, the rules also empower the state government to give relaxation in a ‘just and reasonable’ manner. But it also mandates to record such reasons for relaxation.

Note:

• Maharashtra is one of the few states in the country that have a ‘two children’ policy for appointment in government jobs. This policy is also applicable even for the elections of some local government bodies also.
• Other states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Assam also have a similar policy.

Source: Indian Express