Jaipur: A proposal to reintroduce minimum educational qualifications for sarpanch (elected heads of panchayat bodies at the village-level) and municipal councillors in Rajasthan has triggered a debate ahead of the upcoming local body elections. Urban development minister Jhabar Singh Kharra has sent a recommendation to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma suggesting that sarpanch should have passed at least Class 10, while for councillors Class 10 or Class 12 should be the minimum qualification.Kharra said Thursday that if the proposal is approved, nearly 20% to 30% of candidates across the state would be disqualified from contesting elections. “The proposal has been sent to the CM. We will wait for his approval before taking any further steps,” Kharra said.The minister argued that bringing educated representatives into local governance would strengthen administrative efficiency and improve public representation. “If qualified people come in at the grassroots level, it will help not only cities but also the overall development of the state,” he said.The move has drawn mixed reactions from political figures and former councillors. Former councillor Dashrath Singh Shekhawat welcomed the idea but questioned why similar standards were not being applied to MLAs. “If educational criteria are being introduced for sarpanch and councillors, then MLAs should at least be graduates,” he said.Former councillor Ashish Parewa criticised the proposal, calling it unfair to those who had served the public for years. “Many people who worked tirelessly for their communities may be kept out of the electoral process simply because they do not meet academic requirements. This is unjust,” he said.Others backed the move. Former councillor Lalita Jaiswal said educated councillors would bring more professionalism and efficiency. Mohammad Zakaria, another former councillor, said educated representatives would better understand official orders, public rights, and how to raise civic issues effectively.Former councillor Manoj Mudgal also supported the proposal, stating that knowledge of laws and administrative procedures was essential for any elected representative.Notably, Rajasthan earlier introduced educational qualifications for local body elections in 2015 under the Vasundhara Raje govt, a move that was rolled back in 2018 by the Congress govt. The Ashok Gehlot govt at the time claimed that every citizen has a constitutional right to engage in the democratic process, asserting that the 2015 law unjustly barred a significant segment of the rural population, particularly women, from participating in local elections.
Govt moves to reintroduce edu norms in local polls | Jaipur News
