Assam Relaxes Two-Child Policy for Tribal, Tea Garden, Moran and Mottock Communities

The Assam government has decided to relax its two-child policy for certain indigenous groups, including tribal communities, tea garden workers, and the Moran and Mottock communities.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision on Thursday, describing the move as a necessary step to protect the existence of these micro-communities.

Explaining the rationale, CM Sarma said that imposing strict population limits on such small groups could lead to their extinction within the next 50 years.

“We are relaxing the two-child norms for tribal people, tea garden workers, and the Moran and Mottock communities because they are micro-communities. If we restrict their population growth, they may cease to exist after 50 years. We have taken opinions from various social scientists and concluded that our strict population control policy needs to be relaxed for these four groups,” the Chief Minister stated.

This marks a departure from Assam’s 2017 population control policy, which barred individuals with more than two children from applying for government jobs or contesting panchayat elections. The revised policy will exempt members of these identified communities, allowing them to have more than two children without facing such restrictions.

Under the previous rules, introduced through the Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2019, individuals violating the two-child norm faced disqualification from state government employment and local body elections.

The Chief Minister noted that this decision aligns with the state government’s broader efforts to safeguard indigenous populations and address demographic concerns in Assam. In recent years, the government has undertaken several initiatives aimed at protecting indigenous communities and their land.

In October 2025, Sarma announced that two new legislations would be introduced to strengthen the protection of Assam’s jati, mati, bheti (community, land, and roots). Earlier, in May 2025, the state government also began issuing arms licenses to indigenous residents in remote and vulnerable areas, citing the need to protect them from illegal immigration.

Also Read: Assam Cabinet Approves Key Industrial, Land, Education and Community Reforms