Education criteria to contest R'sthan civic body polls

The Rajasthan government is set to fix minimum education criteria for the candidates contesting civic body elections, on the lines of panchayat elections, in the state.

Highly places sources in the government said the Department of Law has approved the proposal of Department of Urban Development, which recommended Class X as minimum illegibility for contesting civic body elections.

The proposal will now be taken up in the state cabinet meeting following which the decision will be implemented through an ordinance.The decision is likely to be implemented just ahead of the election in 126 civic bodies due in the month of August.

“Department of local self government under UDH had proposed to the state government to fix minimum education criteria of Class X pass for candidates who contest civic body elections in Rajasthan. The Department of law has given its approval and the proposal will now be tabled before the state cabinet,” said a highly-placed source in the government.

Sources said several provisions have also been included in the proposal to strengthen Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Rajasthan. Once the proposal gets cabinet nod, candidates will have to submit an affidavit promising to improve sanitation facilities in their areas, in case they win the elections. The affidavit will be taken at the time of filing the nominations.

Similar education criteria were introduced just before the recently-concluded panchayat elections in Rajasthan after which Class X and Class VII became the basic eligibility to contest the polls. The decision was later challenged in the Supreme Court.