The Assam government has formally notified amendments to its Population and Women Empowerment Policy, reinforcing a mandatory two-child norm for eligibility in government jobs and rendering individuals marrying below the legal age ineligible for state employment or welfare schemes. The amended policy, titled the Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam (Amendment), 2025, also introduces a relaxed three-child limit for specific communities, including Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), Tea Garden Tribes, Moran, and Matak communities.
The updated policy, which came into immediate effect upon its notification on December 5, 2025, by the state’s Health and Family Welfare Department, aims to integrate responsible family planning with governance structures and development programmes. It significantly impacts job aspirants, existing government employees, and beneficiaries of various state welfare schemes, while also proposing extensions to electoral participation.
What was announced
The Assam government officially notified the Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam (Amendment), 2025, on December 5, 2025. This amendment makes the two-child norm a mandatory criterion for eligibility in government jobs across the state. Furthermore, individuals, both male and female, who marry below the legal age will be deemed ineligible for government employment or state-linked welfare schemes.
A key provision of the amendment includes a relaxation for certain communities. Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), Tea Garden Tribes, Moran, and Matak communities will be permitted to have up to three children without losing eligibility for government jobs, electoral participation, or incentives provided to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). This relaxation was formally approved by the Governor of Assam.
Why it matters
This policy amendment carries substantial implications for a wide spectrum of citizens in Assam, particularly those seeking government employment or relying on state welfare initiatives. It institutionalises family planning norms within the state’s administrative and developmental framework, linking demographic behaviour directly to access to opportunities and benefits.
The policy aims to encourage population stabilisation, promote women’s health by discouraging repeated pregnancies, and integrate population control with employment and governance structures. For government job aspirants, adherence to the two-child norm (or three-child norm for exempted communities) and marrying at or above the legal age are now fundamental prerequisites. Existing government employees are also expected to strictly adhere to the two-child norm, serving as “role models for society,” according to the notification.
Background
The current amendments build upon the foundational ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’, which was originally passed by the Assam Legislative Assembly in September 2017. This initial policy had already proposed barring individuals with more than two children from contesting municipal and panchayat elections, obtaining government jobs, and receiving certain benefits. It also stipulated that those violating the legal age of marriage would be ineligible for government employment.
The state government, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has consistently advocated for population control measures, often citing concerns over demographic changes and their impact on resources and indigenous rights. In April 2017, as Health Minister, Mr. Sarma had articulated the draft policy’s intent to deny government jobs and benefits to those flouting the two-child norm.
Subsequently, the Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2019, brought the two-child policy into force for government jobs from January 1, 2021. The Assam Panchayat Act was also amended in 2018 to impose the two-child restriction for contesting gaon panchayat elections, alongside requirements for minimum educational qualifications and functional sanitary toilets.
Chief Minister Sarma has repeatedly emphasised the need for population control, particularly among certain communities, linking it to poverty eradication and social stability. In June 2021, he announced the gradual implementation of the two-child policy for availing benefits under specific state schemes, with exemptions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Tea Tribes.
Key details
The amended policy specifies that candidates applying for government jobs must declare their family size at the appointment stage. The two-child norm applies to children who are either biological or legally adopted. The policy explicitly states that parents cannot circumvent the rule by disowning a child, terming such an act as a “deliberate act not eligible for exemption.”
Beyond the two-child limit, the policy includes provisions for exemptions. These include cases of multiple births in a single pregnancy, such as twins or triplets. Children with disabilities are also considered for exemption.
The relaxation of the two-child norm to a three-child limit for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Tea Garden Tribes, Moran, and Matak communities was a significant decision taken by the state cabinet on October 23, 2025. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma explained this decision by stating that these are “micro communities,” and imposing a strict two-child norm could lead to their demographic decline or even disappearance within 50 years. He further mentioned that this decision was made after consulting various social scientists.
The policy also extends its reach to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). SHGs whose members consistently adhere to the prescribed child norm (two children for general categories, three for exempted communities) will receive special financial incentives from the government.
Reactions
The implementation of population control policies in Assam has drawn varied reactions over the years. When the draft policy was first proposed in April 2017, Oxfam India criticised it, arguing that such policies infringe upon the reproductive rights of women. Nisha Agrawal of Oxfam highlighted research from other states with similar policies, indicating that disqualification clauses could lead to negative consequences like family desertion, unsafe abortions, and new marriages by male members, disproportionately affecting women.
More recently, gender activists have described population control measures linked to incentives and disincentives as potentially misogynistic and communally polarising, noting their disproportionate impact on women from marginalised communities.
However, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has consistently maintained that there is broad acceptance for these measures. In June 2021, he stated that there was “no resistance from the Muslim people” regarding the two-child policy and that factions of the All-Assam Minority Students Union had welcomed the proposal, acknowledging the need for population control measures among Assam’s Muslim community to address poverty and illiteracy.
The Chief Minister has also welcomed the Centre’s initiative to study demographic changes across India, stating on May 27, 2026, that illegal infiltration and unusual demographic change are “not merely the concern of any single state but a serious issue linked to India’s national security, cultural identity, and social balance.”
What’s next
The Assam government intends to further legislate norms barring persons with more than two children from contesting Panchayat and municipal elections, with similar provisions planned for other statutory bodies. There are also proposals to extend these norms as a yardstick for contesting State Assembly elections, potentially leading to the disqualification of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who violate the family planning norm.
Additionally, the policy may introduce minimum educational qualifications as eligibility criteria for contesting elections to panchayats and urban local bodies, further integrating social development goals with governance. The amended norms have taken effect immediately, and the government is expected to continue its public awareness campaigns to ensure fair implementation.