The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly has passed the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The bill has the following provisions:
- The amendment bill makes it mandatory for panchayat poll candidates to have passed class 10. While women and SC/ST male candidates need to pass class eight, SC/ST women need to pass class five to be eligible to contest in panchayat polls.
- The bill also states that people with more than two living children, one of whom is born 300 days after the enforcement of this new law will not be eligible to contest panchayat polls.
- The bill bans holding of two offices simultaneously by any Panchayat member.
Panchayat polls are due to be held in the state of Uttarakhand this year.