India, Nov. 15 -- The Supreme Court added its weight to the growing fertility debate. Laws aimed at limiting population growth "have now lost their significance", the apex court noted on November 4, referring to legislation that disqualifies people with more than two children from contesting panchayat elections.

The court was hearing a case brought by Mangala Bhimrao Ingle, former sarpanch of Kakoda gram panchayat in Maharashtra who gave birth to her third child in 2014 and, contested, won and was subsequently disqualified from the 2022 panchayat elections in the state.

Allowing Ingle to continue as sarpanch under an interim order, the court has also asked for a larger bench to relook its own 2003 judgment in another case, Javed v State...