Stories
India's Parliament Lacks Youth: Only 40 Lok Sabha MPs Are 40 or Below
- •Despite India having one of the world's youngest populations, only 40 Lok Sabha MPs are aged 40 or below.
- •Six Gen Z MPs (born 1997-2012) are in the current Lok Sabha, with five of them coming from political families.
- •Across Parliament and state Assemblies, 26 Gen Z legislators exist, with half being political dynasts.
- •An analysis reveals 37.8% of legislators aged 40 or below (145 out of 384) come from political families.
- •The under-40 group of MPs includes 11 women (27.5%), nearly double the overall share of women in the Lok Sabha, with 8 of these 11 being political dynasts.
Key Questions Answered
Youth representation in the Indian Parliament could increase if the Telangana government's proposal to lower the minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections from 25 to 21 years is accepted by the Centre and enacted into law before the next general election. This change could encourage political parties to field younger candidates.
Political dynasties mean that even among young elected representatives, those from political families are prominent. For example, 37.8% of legislators aged 40 or below come from political families. In the BJP, five out of nine Lok Sabha MPs under 40 are from political families, and in the Congress, four out of seven Lok Sabha MPs under 40 are dynasts.
Measures that could boost youth participation in politics include lowering the minimum age to contest elections from 25 to 21 years, and early intervention programs in high schools and universities to educate future voters about democracy.
