Youth is the most energetic phase of a person’s life. During this phase, the incompressible energy of youth gets dispersed in multiple aspects of life. Incorporating this into a nation’s political system not only boosts political consciousness and engagement but also encourages systemic innovation, which is crucial for the growth of a vibrant democracy. For the past decade or so, several countries have trusted the young leaders in shaping the fate of their nations. The trend has kept pace in recent times with the rise of young minds in the political arena like the king of Bhutan, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuk, who is leading the Himalayan nation towards democratic traditions, was enthroned at 26; Éion Tennyson, 26, who is the member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland; In 2023, US politician Maxwell Alejandro Frost, 28, of Democratic Party became the US Representative from Orlando (Florida); In 2024, Simon Harris, 38, became the youngest Prime Minister of Ireland of the Fine Gael Party; US politician John Ossoff ,37, who is serving as a senator from Georgia since 2021 of Democratic Party; and the unforgettable Emmanuel Macron, who became the youngest President of France in 2017 at 39, whose legacy tells the tale of a young mind experimenting within democracy and bold decision making associated with it.
The 18th Lok Sabha was formed after the 2024 general elections in India, which pervasively lacked young parliamentarians. It is paradoxical, as India is known as the country of youth because of its significantly large young population. According to the Mint, in India, out of 1.4 billion population, more than 50 percent is under 25, and as per the survey conducted by Statista, over 65 per cent of the total population is between the age range of 15 to 30 years, as of 2024. However, statistics of the 18th Lok Sabha show that the population above 25 years of age is scarcely represented in Parliament. According to PRS’s surveyed data, the average age of MPs elected to the 18th Lok Sabha is 56 years. 38 per cent of MPs are above 40 years of age and 52 per cent of MPs are older than 55 years. The oldest MP is 82 years old and only three MPs elected to the 18th Lok Sabha are 25 years old.
The above data shows that the most favourable section of Indian demography is under-utilised. It also compels one to wonder as to why the youth of the world’s largest democracy is not actively engaged in politics in the bigger picture? Why is parliamentarian responsibility not delegated to youth? Are we scared of giving a voice to them? Multiple questions arise when one thinks of young minds not acquiring prestigious political positions. Here are some reasons answering these questions:
German psychologist, Erik Erikson’s Identity Confusion Theory explains that when adolescents are unable to explore their ideas whether about career or values, they suffer an identity crisis influenced by external pressures, such as family expectations, societal norms or peer influences, which limit their exploring abilities. In India, parents do not view politics as an optimistic profession, as politics is often associated with the term ‘dirty politics’, which in turn, impacts the career choices of their children. Regardless, there are those who dared to leap into politics and set an example like Shambhavi Choudhary, 25, Sanjana Jatav, 26, Pushpendra Saroj, 25 and Sagar Khandre, 26, who were elected in the recent 2024 general elections as MPs from their respective parties.
The new lineage called the ‘Generation Z’ is an interesting cohort for researchers, as studies have highlighted that while choosing a career-path, this generation looks for a positive work environment, flexible working patterns and a sustainable work-life balance. However, politics being an uncertain and time consuming affair, these aspirations are hard to fulfill, discouraging youngsters to opt for it. Nonetheless, as a digitally savvy generation, Gen Z has their tools and visions to lead the nation in their own way.
In-spite of the law, Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which says about the disclosure of movable and immovable asset of electoral candidates, politically experienced players often utilise their undeclared resources and muscle power to fund extensive campaigns, and use intimidation or coercion to manipulate electoral outcomes and sway public opinions. This poses a serious challenge and threat to the fair, representative and democratic nature of Indian elections which demotivates youth to participate in the electoral process.
Political parties, often, prefer those candidates who possess a strong voter base and have a high winability ratio. Here dynastic politics also plays a critical role due to the candidates’ perceived political ancestry and influence. Therefore, many times, experienced political candidates are chosen over young players, neglecting their abilities and demoralising the value of their candidature. It depreciates the political rights of individuals, limits the electoral contestants’ participation, and the choice of voters.
Every existing political party for the past two decades or more has a charismatic personality called the ‘face of the party’, for example, PM Modi from the BJP, Rahul Gandhi from the INC, Sharad Pawar from the NCP, Nitish Kumar from the JDU etc. In the current political scenario, there are only a few young faces who are standing in front of these titans. Also, many times, it is difficult for party members to trust and bet on these young faces. Here, a significant question arises, why influential political leadership does not promote their younger descendants? Why does this populism overshadow young political leadership?
India proudly flaunts its badge as the world’s largest democracy, but for it to be effective democracy, it requires to overcome the above highlighted shortcomings. It is important to recall that the forefathers of the Indian constitution were not hesitant in enabling political rights for the people to participate actively as electoral contestants and as voters. Therefore, after 77 years of Independence, this vigorous political culture requires the voices of the youth in the Parliament. Considering their magnitude, India has to color its politics in the flare of youth urgently, because the upcoming dynamic socio-political and economic factors will shrink this number significantly. Through collective efforts, Indian youth’s energy needs to be channelised in the political sphere in order to make them the torchbearers of progress. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt:
“We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”