THE All India Democratic Women’s Association, in a statement issued on March 10, has welcomed the amendment passed in the Rajya Sabha to the president’s address regarding the rights of all citizens to contest panchayat elections. This reiterates AIDWA’s position that an amendment prescribing minimum educational qualifications to contest the panchayati raj institutions affected the most marginalised and poor sections of the society including dalits and women. AIDWA members had challenged these educational and other disqualifications in the Supreme Court and placed on record data which showed that an overwhelming number of people particularly dalits and women would be disqualified by these anti-democratic and anti-people amendment. Data from the Census of India, 2011, had shown that in effect the disqualifications would bar 55.63 percent of non-SC men, 68.65 percent of non-SC women, 62.16 percent of SC men, and 83.06 percent of SC women. Prescribing minimum educational qualifications for contesting elections to panchayats goes against the constitution and violates the letter and spirit of the 73rd amendment to the constitution which sought to ensure a more inclusive self government at the panchayat level. This disqualification from contesting on the basis of education also punishes citizens for repeated failures of the State to provide education. The recent panchayat elections in Haryana also show the adverse impact of prescribing an educational qualification for contest as a significant number of seats went uncontested and many seats had no contestants. AIDWA has resolved to carry out a struggle for a roll back of the amendment prescribing minimum educational qualifications for contesting panchayati raj seats.