Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha demanded during the monsoon session of Parliament on Thursday that the minimum age for contesting elections in India should be reduced from the current 25 years to 21 years. Chadha said that this will help in increasing the participation of youth in Indian politics. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha said, “India is one of the youngest countries in the world. 65 percent of our population is below 35 years of age and 50 percent is below 25 years of age.”
Chadha said that when the first Lok Sabha was elected after independence, 26 percent of the members were below 40 years of age. Chadha said, “Only 12 per cent of the members in the 17th Lok Sabha (previous Lok Sabha) were below 40 years of age… We are a young country with old politicians, we should aspire to be a young country with young politicians. ” He said, “I have a suggestion for the Government of India: the minimum age for contesting elections should be reduced from 25 years to 21 years.”
Parliamentary committee has also advocated
This is not the first time that a demand has been made to reduce the minimum age for contesting elections. Last year, a parliamentary committee had advocated reducing the minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to seven years, saying that this would provide equal opportunities to the youth to participate in democracy. It had specifically recommended reducing the minimum age for contesting elections from the current 25 years to 18 years for Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.
Also read: ‘Reduce the age for contesting elections from 25 to 21 years’, AAP MP Raghav Chadha demanded in Rajya Sabha.
As per the existing legal framework, a person must be at least 25 years of age to contest Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The minimum age to become a member of Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Council is 30 years.
What did the committee say?
The parliamentary committee “after examining the rules of various countries such as Canada, Britain and Australia, found that the minimum age for candidacy in national elections should be 18 years. The committee said that examples from these countries show that young people are reliable and responsible. May be a political participant.
The panel, headed by late BJP leader and former MP Sushil Modi, found that reducing the minimum age requirement for candidature in elections would provide equal opportunities to young persons to participate in democracy.
Age for contesting elections in different countries
Britain- In Britain, the minimum age to contest elections from local to national level is 18 years. Other eligibility criteria for contesting elections include being a British citizen, a citizen of a Commonwealth country, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this, it is necessary to be a voter of the area you want to represent.
Australia- In Australia a person must be 18 years of age or older to run for public office at federal, state or local government level. The youngest member of the House of Representatives was 20-year-old Wyatt Roy, who was elected in the 2010 federal election. Then by amending the Election Act 1918 (in 1973), the age of candidature for that post was reduced from 21 years to 18 years.
Canada- In Canada, the minimum age to be eligible to run for elected office (municipal, provincial, federal) is 18 years of age or older. Before 1970 this age was 21 years.
Also read: ‘The age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections should be raised to 18 years’, parliamentary committee suggested
Chile- The minimum age to contest elections in Chile varies depending on the type of election. For example, for presidential election, the minimum age is 35 years. Before the reforms of 2005, this age was 40 years, and from 1925 to 1981 it was 30 years. For senators this age is 35 years (between 1981 and 2005 it was 40 years) and for deputies it is 21 years (between 1925 and 1970 it was 35 years old).
China- Talking about China, the minimum age to be elected President or Vice President here is 45 years. In China, the minimum age to contest elections varies. For National People’s Congress (NPC) delegates, provincial and municipal representatives, and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the minimum age is 18 years. For members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the minimum age is 18 years. Whereas the minimum age to contest Presidential and Vice Presidential elections is 45 years. For members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the minimum age is usually around 40–50 years.