Bhopal, June 9 (IANS) Ending a 23-year-old restriction, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday ordered the withdrawal of the two-child norm for government jobs in Madhya Pradesh, a move that will lift the ban on thousands of aspirants and serving employees facing action under the clause.

The Chief Minister directed the General Administration Department (GAD) to scrap the draft provision from the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services Rules that declared candidates with more than two children ineligible for direct recruitment and departmental appointments. The state government said the current draft will be removed from the official portal immediately.

The norm was introduced in 2001 by the then state government as part of population control measures. It stated that candidates having more than two living children on or after January 26, 2001, would be deemed ineligible for government service under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (General Conditions of Service) Rules, 1961. The restriction applied to all direct recruitment and departmental promotions.

The rule had a wider impact on serving employees as well. Under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965, having more than two children was classified as misconduct, exposing government servants to disciplinary proceedings if they had a third child after the cut-off date.

Taking note of the long-standing provision, Chief Minister Yadav instructed the GAD to immediately scrap the proposed draft and delete the clauses on ineligibility based on family size. “The revised draft will be republished in accordance with due procedure,” the state government said in a statement.

The decision comes as a major relief for job seekers who were unable to apply for state vacancies despite being otherwise eligible. Employee unions had also been demanding a review of the Conduct Rules, arguing that the provision was outdated and led to unnecessary hardship for families.

Officials said the draft has already been removed from the portal to prevent confusion during ongoing and upcoming recruitment processes. The revised rules will be prepared after examination and placed in the public domain for suggestions before final notification.

The scrapping of the two-child bar marks one of the most significant service-rule amendments in the state in over two decades. Since 2001, the clause had been a mandatory condition in every government appointment advertisement and was routinely cited in eligibility criteria.

The government clarified that until the new rules are formally notified, the withdrawal of the existing draft will ensure that the two-child restriction is no longer enforced.

–IANS

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