Allahabad High Court orders census‑based panchayat populations, bans pregnancy‑based job denial

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the population of a gram panchayat under the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act must be determined solely from the last published Census. The court held that a gram panchayat cannot continue to exist unless it meets the statutory minimum population, upholding the state government's decision to dissolve Karua gram panchayat in Gonda district and merge it with Kumhraura gram panchayat.

In a separate judgment, the same bench declared that pregnancy cannot be used as a ground to deny government employment. The court said forcing a woman to choose between motherhood and a career violates constitutional rights. It ordered that a pregnant applicant who missed a physical‑fitness test be allowed to retake it within four weeks and be appointed with seniority in the OBC women category, directing the recruitment commission to arrange a new test.