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Assam Cabinet Exempts Tribals, Tea Tribes, Morans, and Motoks from Two-Child Norm
Oct 25, 2025The Assam government has decided to exempt members of tribal communities, tea tribes, Morans, and Motoks from the state’s two-child norm applicable for eligibility in government jobs. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Chief Minister Sarma said the move aims to protect the distinct identities of these smaller communities and prevent them from facing demographic extinction.
“The cabinet decided to exempt members of the tea tribes, Morans, Motoks, and Scheduled Tribes from the provision of restricting the number of children to two under the population policy. If we continue with the policy in its current form, these populations may lose their distinct identities and could gradually become extinct in the next 50 years,” Sarma said.
The Chief Minister explained that the government consulted social scientists before taking the decision. “We found that some of these micro-communities, like the Moran community—which currently has an estimated population of only around one lakh—face the risk of declining further. Relaxing the two-child norm is essential for their survival,” he added.
Under the Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2019, the two-child policy came into effect in January 2021, making individuals with more than two children ineligible for government jobs.
The Chief Minister had earlier announced, in September 2021, that the government would consider waiving the norm for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and traditional forest-dwelling communities.
Sarma said the latest cabinet decision reflects the government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable ethnic and tribal groups from the adverse effects of uniform population control measures.
“This is not just about policy; it’s about preserving Assam’s cultural diversity and ensuring that no community disappears due to well-intentioned but rigid rules,” he stated.
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