Bhopal:
In a major policy U-turn that could impact thousands of government job aspirants and serving employees, the Madhya Pradesh government is set to remove the two-child restriction linked to government service.
Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has directed the General Administration Department to scrap the proposed draft of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services Rules that retained the provision barring candidates with more than two living children from government jobs.
The Chief Minister has also ordered that the draft be removed from the official portal immediately.
The move is being seen as a big relief for job aspirants, young families and government employees who had long objected to the rule.
For more than two decades, Madhya Pradesh followed a provision introduced in 2001 as part of population-control measures.
Under this system, a candidate having more than two living children on or after January 26, 2001, was deemed ineligible for direct recruitment and departmental appointments in government service.
The rule did not stop at recruitment. Under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1965, having more than two children was also treated as misconduct for government servants. This meant the provision cast a shadow not only on those preparing for government jobs, but also on employees already in service.
Taking cognizance of the matter, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has instructed the General Administration Department to withdraw the draft rules, delete the provisions related to ineligibility on basis of having more than two living children, and prepare a revised draft. The new draft will be republished after the controversial provision is removed.
The decision marks a significant shift in the state’s service rules and brings Madhya Pradesh in line with states that have already moved away from such restrictions.
Rajasthan had lifted a similar bar during Vasundhara Raje’s tenure in 2016, while Chhattisgarh removed the restriction under Raman Singh in 2017.
