Lowering the age to contest elections

IN NEWS:

• Holding that young individuals can be “reliable and responsible” political participants, a Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended reducing the age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to 18 years.
• This view was, however, contested by the Election Commission of India which said that it was “unrealistic” to expect 18-year-olds to possess the necessary “experience and maturity” for being Members of Parliament and State legislative bodies.

PRESENT SCENARIO:

• At present, the legal age for voting in India is 18 years. To be eligible for contesting elections:
  • The minimum age requirement for aspiring to become an MLA or MP (Lok Sabha) is 25 years.
  • The minimum age for a person to become a member of the Rajya Sabha or the State Legislative Council is 30 years.
  • At the panchayat and municipality levels, the minimum age limit for contesting elections stands at 21 years.
  • If the person intends to contest a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in any state/Union Territories, they must be a member of the respective category.

MERITS OF LOWERING CONTESTING AGE:

• Youth Representation:
  • Avenue to contest the elections early encourages political awareness and involvement among youth, contributing to a more engaged and informed citizenry.
• Recognise youth’s capabilities:
  • Surveys indicate that youth globally have significant political awareness and knowledge. This is evident through youth-led movements such as ‘Fridays for Future’ and ‘March for Our Lives’, highlighting their capacity to rally and champion critical social and political concerns.
• Proportionate representation:
  • The Parliamentary committee said it was disconcerting that 47% of MPs in 2019 were over the age of 55, as per PRS Legislative Research, while India’s median age was 27.9 years.
• Globally practiced:
  • In countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the minimum age for candidacy in federal elections is 18. As a result, young leaders like Pierre-Luc Dusseault (Canada) were able to get themselves involved in politics and policy formulation at a young age.      
• Diverse Leadership:
  • Allowing representation from different age groups and backgrounds will bring fresh perspectives to policy discussions.
• Responsive leadership:
  • Young candidates have a stronger interest and insights into contemporary issues like technology, climate change, and social justice.

CRITICISM:

• Limited understanding:
  • Political competence comes with age, a notion that Plato argued for over two thousand years ago. Young candidates may have a limited understanding of the complexities of Indian society and political arena.
• Lack of experience:
  • Young candidates might lack the experience and maturity required for effective decision-making and governance. Such inexperience may lead to detrimental actions that can have far reaching impacts.
• Vulnerability to influence:
  • Young candidates might be more susceptible to external influence, as they may have less exposure to political dynamics.

CONCLUSION:

Lowering the contesting age could be adopted easily, but it has doubtful and difficult implications. Basic poll reforms, on the other hand, are difficult to push through but has durable positive implications to the parliamentary democracy and federal system that we have adopted. Such reforms can include:

• Creating a cycle of elections, according to which elections to some legislative assemblies whose term end within six months to one year before or after the election date could be held during the midterm of Lok Sabha. For the rest of the states, elections could be held along with the general elections to Lok Sabha.
• Adopting proportional representation or hybrid system of elections in place of the first-post-the past electoral system (FPTP).
• Improving intra party democracy, transparency and bringing them under the framework of Right to Information Act.
• Strengthening Election commission to monitor poll expenditure at all levels and become an effective regulator in conducting free and fair elections.
• Eliminating bogus electors from electoral roll with the help of IT enabled tools such as electronic voter ID cards. 
• Prospecting the idea of state funding of elections.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q.  What are the qualifications required for a person to contest elections to the Lok Sabha? Critically analyse the recommendation to reduce the age for contesting Lok Sabha elections 18 years.