Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, addressing the Upper House on Thursday, advocated for lowering the minimum age to contest elections, underscoring the necessity for younger representation in Indian politics.
Raghav Chadha highlighted that India, with an average age of 29 years, is among the youngest countries globally, yet this youthful demographic is not mirrored in the age of its politicians.
“India’s population includes 38 percent who are under 35 years and more than half who are under 25. However, are our elected leaders as young?” Chadha questioned.
Drawing a historical comparison, he noted, “In the first Lok Sabha after Independence, 26 percent of the members were under 40, but in the current 17th Lok Sabha, only around 12 percent are under 40.”
“We are a young country with old politicians. We must aspire to become a young country with young politicians,” Raghav Chadha said, emphasizing the need to encourage youth to enter mainstream politics.
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Pointing out that politics is often not seen as a desirable career, the AAP leader remarked, “Parents want their children to become doctors, engineers, sportspersons, scientists, but no one encourages them to become politicians. I believe it is necessary to introduce incentives for young people to encourage their participation in mainstream politics.”
Raghav Chadha also proposed reducing the minimum age to contest elections from 25 to 21 years.
“In India, the age to contest an election is 25 years. I urge the government to reduce the minimum age to contest polls to 21 years, allowing 21-year-old youths to join mainstream politics by contesting the polls.”
He reasoned that if 18-year-olds can vote, they should also be allowed to contest elections at 21, thereby enabling them to engage directly in the political process of the country.
