Democracy’s Age Gap: When Young India Finds No Seat at its Own Table

  •   Wed, Jan 29 2025
  •   By Shanil Yakoob

January 29, 2025

A Nation of 900 Million Under-35s is Led by a Parliament Where 89% are Above 40.

India’s vibrant democracy presents a striking paradox. In a nation where Swami Vivekananda’s vision of youth as transformative agents of change continues to inspire millions, the corridors of political power tell a different story. The disconnect between India’s youthful population and its aging political leadership raises fundamental questions about representation and inclusivity in the world’s largest democracy.

Despite being home to a population where half are under 25 and 65% are below 35,[1] India’s democracy is governed by one of the oldest parliamentary bodies globally. The recently elected 18th Lok Sabha highlights this disparity, with an average age of 56 years and over half its members above 55. This contradiction raises fundamental questions about representation in a nation celebrated for its youthful demographic dividend.

A History of Aging Leadership

This disparity becomes even more striking when viewed through the lens of history. Since independence, the average age of parliamentarians has steadily increased, rising from 46.5 years in the first Lok Sabha to 56 years in the current one[2]. Ironically, the founding fathers who crafted our globally celebrated Constitution were younger than today’s legislators. The 1998 Lok Sabha, with an average age of 46.4 years, stands out as the youngest in India’s parliamentary history. If this trend continues, a linear projection model predicts that the average age of Lok Sabha members could reach approximately 58.5 years by 2047,[3] further widening the gap between India’s youthful population and its aging leadership.

The constitutional framework presents its own paradox. While Article 84(b) sets the minimum age for parliamentary candidature at 25 years, the same nation trusts its 21-year-olds to serve as civil service officers and its 17-year-olds to defend its borders. This begs the question: If someone is old enough to fight for the nation, why aren’t they deemed mature enough to directly shape its policies through parliamentary representation?

The 2024 Lok Sabha statistics paint a grim picture, with only 1% of MPs under the age of 30, totalling seven young leaders.[4] What is even more striking is that these faces predominantly come from political dynasties, such as third-generation politicians or the offspring of party leaders. The dream of genuine youth representation remains elusive.

The Entry Barriers

The road to India’s political arena is paved with selective gates and hidden barriers. From ancient dynasties to colonial rule, and now to political families, power transfer has remained largely hereditary.

The alternative routes to entry read like a manual of disillusionment. Party student wings promise leadership but demand unquestioning loyalty. The role of a political aide, while offering direct exposure to power corridors, frequently reduces aspiring leaders to mere shadow-bearers of established politicians. The celebrity route, glamorous as it may seem, often reveals its limitations when the cameras turn away and the hard work of policy-making begins. Even the supposedly meritocratic path through bureaucracy carries its own burden. Former civil servants entering politics often face scepticism about their ability to transition from implementing policies to crafting them, with their neutrality questioned by both colleagues and constituents. Meanwhile, grassroots activists, despite their deep connection with ground realities and public issues, frequently find themselves marginalized by the very system they seek to reform.

The Time for Change

The solution demands a multi-pronged approach. Political parties must embrace internal democracy and actively recruit young candidates. The minimum age requirement for electoral participation should be reconsidered, with Norway’s model of allowing 18-year-olds to contest elections[5] offering an interesting alternative. Educational institutions need to expand their focus beyond creating professionals to nurturing leaders. Furthermore, systematic youth involvement in decision-making processes, quota systems for young candidates, and more accessible political platforms could help level the playing field.

As India strides toward ‘Amrit Kaal’, a envisioned era of national prosperity and progress, a pressing question emerges: Can an aging parliament truly grasp and address the aspirations of young India? By continuing to side-line youth representation in politics, the nation’s demographic dividend risks transforming into a demographic liability.

Robert Kennedy’s words from his iconic “Ripple of Hope” speech resonate profoundly with India’s current crossroads: “This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.”[6]

The time has come to recognize that youth leadership isn’t about tomorrow, it is about today. In a rapidly evolving world where challenges like climate change, technological disruption, and economic uncertainty loom large, fresh perspectives and innovative solutions are not just desirable but essential. India’s democracy needs to reflect its demographic reality, not just in numbers but in spirit and action.

Annexure:

Figure 1- Linear Projection Model of the average Age of Lok Sabha Member

 

 

 

1. National Family Health Survey 5, 2019-21
2. Press Information Bureau. “General Election 2024: Statistical Report.” Available at: PIB
3. The Linear Projection model chart is given in the Annexure- Figure 1
4. India Today. “Youngest Gen Z MPs in Lok Sabha: Shambhavi Choudhary, Pushpendra Saroj, and Others.” Published on June 7, 2024. Available at: India Today
5. Government of Norway. “The Norwegian Electoral System.” Available at: Government of Norway
6. Robert F. Kennedy, “Day of Affirmation Address,” University of Cape Town, June 6, 1966, accessed from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Available at : jfklibrary

 

 

 

 

 
By Shanil Yakoob
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • mary komut, Arunachal Pradesh

    Wed, Jan 29 2025

    Fantastic write -up! enjoyed reading it.

  • Jaleel Mukri, Uppinangady, Karnataka india

    Wed, Jan 29 2025

    A deeply researched article. Keep it up.

  • william, Mangalore

    Wed, Jan 29 2025

    Excellent and well researched article.


Leave a Comment

Title: Democracy’s Age Gap: When Young India Finds No Seat at its Own Table



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.