The Madhya Pradesh government’s move to scrap a nearly 25-year-old rule that bars people with more than two children from government jobs has reportedly stalled at the bureaucratic level. Despite directions from Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, the General Administration Department (GAD) has so far failed to bring a proposal before the state Cabinet.

The issue has also raised questions over the implementation of the Chief Minister’s directions. According to sources, a proposal to withdraw the provision was discussed during a meeting of the Senior Secretaries Committee during the tenure of former Chief Secretary Anurag Jain. However, the committee did not approve the proposal, preventing it from reaching the Cabinet.

Employees Have Opposed Rule

Employee organisations in Madhya Pradesh have repeatedly opposed the provision that restricts government employment for people with more than two children.

Against this backdrop, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had indicated that the restriction should be removed.

Jitendra Singh, state general secretary of the Madhya Pradesh State Employees’ Association, alleged that although the Chief Minister has clearly stated that the rule would be scrapped, officials in the General Administration Department have not allowed the process to move forward.

He also alleged that delays have occurred in other employee-related matters despite directions from the Chief Minister.

Senior Secretaries Committee Rejected Proposal

According to sources in the state Secretariat, former Chief Secretary Anurag Jain was in favour of removing the restriction. In line with the Chief Minister’s position, a proposal to repeal the provision was placed before the Senior Secretaries Committee during his tenure.

However, members of the committee did not agree to the proposal. As a result, the matter could not be forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration.

Sources said Chief Minister Mohan Yadav again directed officials to make changes to the provision around a month ago. However, no revised rule or government order has been issued so far.

CM Objected to New Draft

The Chief Minister had also objected to a proposed draft prepared by the GAD.

The draft published on June 6, 2026, retained the restriction on having more than two children. Rules 5 and 6 of the proposed framework specified eligibility and disqualification conditions.

Under the draft, a candidate with more than two children would be ineligible for government employment if at least one of the children was born on or after January 26, 2001.

The draft, however, included an exemption for certain cases involving twins. If a person has one child and twins or more children are born during the next delivery, the person would not be considered ineligible under the proposed provision.

Chief Minister Yadav reportedly directed the GAD to remove the restriction, take down the draft from the government portal and publish a revised version.

Rule Introduced in 2001

The provision was introduced in Madhya Pradesh in 2001. It stipulated that candidates with more than two living children, where at least one child was born on or after January 26, 2001, would be ineligible for direct recruitment to government services and certain departmental appointments.

A related provision also exists under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965, where having more than two children has been included under specified misconduct-related provisions.

Questions Over Implementation

The delay in moving forward with the proposed repeal has now brought the issue of bureaucratic decision-making and implementation of political directives into focus.

While the Chief Minister has reportedly favoured removing the restriction, the proposal has not yet reached the Cabinet for a final decision.

For now, the existing two-child-related provisions remain in force, while government employees and their organisations continue to await clarity on whether the nearly 25-year-old restrictions will actually be withdrawn.