SC to hear on educational qualification for panchayat poll candidates

The complex issue of mandatory educational standards to contest panchayat elections in Haryana will be heard and decided by the Supreme Court this week.

Panchayat elections had to be put off in the state after petitioners filed a case against the Haryana government's decision to introduce educational and other qualifications for a sarpanch (although MLAs and MPs don't have any such qualifications) and had a law passed in the Assembly.

This law was challenged in the Supreme Court which is hearing the matter. Among the conditions are that individuals will not be allowed to contest panchayat elections if they haven't paid electricity bills, if they have been chargesheeted in serious crimes or if they do not have a toilet in their home.

The basic educational qualifications were 8th class for women and scheduled caste candidates and 10th class for all others. If an individual had an unpaid cooperative bank loan, he was declared ineligible to contest. All these conditions were alleged to be violative of the Constitution, the petitioners alleged. Consequently, the panchayat election in the state was stayed by the court.