AAP MP Raghav Chadha pitches to lower minimum age for contesting elections
The AAP MP suggested that this might be because politics is viewed as a "bad profession" as a potential explanation.
On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Aadmi party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha pitches in a Parliamentary session that India is one of the youngest countries in the world in terms of average age of its population and deserves representation which reflects that while pitching for reducing the minimum age for contesting elections.
“We are a young country with old politicians, we must aspire to be a young country with young politicians,” Mr Chadha said in the Rajya Sabha, advocating for the age to be reduced to 21.
Along with joking about wanting to enter Parliament at an even younger age, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar teased the 35-year-old as he stood to speak on the matter. made a compelling case for lowering the age requirement from 25 to 21 years old for candidates running in India’s Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
Raghav Chadha’s Appeal
With a laugh, Mr Chadha replied. “I’ll tell you, sir. The issue is close to my heart… India, with an average age of 29 years, is one of the youngest countries in the world. In our country, 65% of the population is less than 35 years old and over 50% is less than 25 years old. But are our politicians and elected representatives as young?”
“You will be surprised to know that, in the first Lok Sabha, 26% of the people were less than 40 years old and the just-dissolved 17th Lok Sabha had only 12% people in that age group. So, as the country is getting younger, our elected representatives are getting older,” he added.
He emphasized the “need to incentivize youth so that they enter into mainstream politics” in addition to his main theme. In addition, Chadha stated that India should be represented as one of the youngest nations in the world in terms of average population age. Chadha listed the causes of young people’s lower engagement rates, stating that mentioned that this is happening because politics is considered a bad profession.
“India is one of the youngest countries in the world. The average age of Indians is 29 and 65 percent population of India is below 35 years old. More than 50 per cent of the population is less than 50 years old, but the question is: are our representatives also that young? It’s very wonderful to know that in the very first elections of Lok Sabha after independence, 26 per cent of MPs were below the age of 40. But, in this 17th Lok Sabha, only 12 per cent MPs are below the age of 40. The way the country is getting younger, our representatives are getting older,” he added.
The AAP MP suggested that this might be because politics is viewed as a “bad profession” as a potential explanation. He stated that when parents consider careers for their kids, they want them to be physicians, engineers, athletes, scientists, and chartered accountants—but not politicians.
“We have to incentivise the youth to join mainstream politics. The minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections is 25 and, through you, I would request the government to reduce that to 21… When a person can vote at the age of 18, pick the government and play a role in deciding the future of the country, why can’t he contest elections at the age of 21,” he asked.
In India, the minimum age to stand for elections to the Lok Sabha and Assembly is now 25 years old. Additionally, the minimum age to be elected to the Rajya Sabha or the State Legislative Council is 30 years old.
“We are a young country with old politicians, we must aspire to be a young country with young politicians,” the AAP MP said in the Rajya Sabha
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