House panel proposes reducing minimum age to contest polls

Source: The post is based on the article “House panel proposes reducing minimum age to contest polls” published in Business Standard on 5^th August 2023.

What is the news?

The parliamentary panel has proposed lowering the minimum age for participating in national elections, especially Assembly elections, from 25 to 18 years.

Why has the committee come up with such a proposal?

Global Practices: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice cited examples from the UK, Australia, and Canada, where the minimum age to run for any elected public office is 18.

Even in most European countries, the minimum age for contesting national general elections is 18.

Inadequate Representation: In 2019, a report by PRS Legislative Research revealed that 47 percent of Lok Sabha MPs were over 55 years old. The panel found this troubling considering India’s median age was only 27.9 years.

The report also highlighted that only 2.2 percent of Lok Sabha MPs were under 30 years old. Hence, the panel has raised concerns over lack of representation.

Bridging the generation gap: The committee stated that global surveys indicate a significant political awareness among the youth. Hence, having younger candidates could help bridge the generation gap, promote dialogue, and foster cooperation. 

What has been the response of the Election Commission for the proposal?

The Election Commission (EC) has said that expecting 18-year-olds to have the required experience and maturity to serve as public representatives was unrealistic.

Hence, it advised the panel not to change the constitutional provision for the age requirement to contest in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Legislative Assemblies, and Legislative Councils, unless compelling reasons exist.