Written By – Anshita Chouhan
The potential of youth is unexplored in the parliamentary affairs of the country. While India proudly calls itself a young nation, with 11 percent of the population in the age group of 25-30, the MPs from that age group hardly account for 1.5%. Even though the proportion of youth in the Parliament has increased in this term, it makes one wonder; why is there an under-representation of youth in the Parliament and why are youth reluctant to participate in the political machinery of the country?
According to Census 2011, around 11 per cent of the Indian population comes in the age bracket of 25-30. In Lok Sabha 2019, hardly 1.5 percent of MPs fall in this age group. The Census 2011 also tells us that more than 25 per cent of the Indian population came in the age bracket of 25-40; this group accounts for only 12 per cent in the 17th Lok Sabha. Even though the proportion of youth in the parliament has increased from the previous 8 per cent in 2014, it makes one wonder; why is there under-representation of youth in the parliament, and why are youth reluctant to participate in the political machinery of the country?
The enthusiasm that the youth holds has the potential to materialise into fruitful development of the nation. Take the example of Jabna Chauhan from Tharjoon, Himachal Pradesh. She was elected as the youngest sarpanch in India at the age of 22 in 2016 and has brought significant change to the village. Banning the usage of liquor and tobacco, arranging for effective waste management, the reparation of infrastructure, along with other measures has won her the title of ‘Best Sarpanch’, and was honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Just like Jabna, the youth of this country bring with themselves the zeal to bring about a change and the determination to make a difference. Yet, in the legislative body of India, we see an under-representation of such spirit and the lack of a push for the youth.
It is a wide-ranging trend that a majority of the youth present in the current political discourse emerges from political families, i.e. dwell into dynastical politics. Young people without any political background or standing find it difficult to make it into the political arena of the country, as it is much testing for a fresh face to gain popularity and momentum without endorsement. Without a proper platform to capitalize from and without mentorship, getting into a field which requires experience and diplomacy becomes improbable. This impedes the creative and constructive energy of the young minds that could have been leveraged for the betterment of the country.
The youth of this country are in the need of platforms which help them uplift themselves to the level of political recognition. They need mentorship and guidance which helps them project their spirit of development and represent the largest age bracket of the country. They need a medium which overcomes the need for familial connections in the field of politics and helps them employ their potential and passion.
‘Youth in Politics’ is an initiative directly focusing on bringing youth into active, electoral politics. Under the mentorship of Prashant Kishor, aspiring young politicians can uplift themselves to step into the realm of politics, from where they can further work towards bringing about a change. ‘Youth in Politics’ addresses the paucity of youth representation in the parliament, and aims to fulfil that by reaching out to the youth of the country at the grassroots level. Only when the massive young population of the country is given the required power in hands to implement a change, can our country work towards double digited growth, and that is exactly what ‘Youth in Politics’ is trying to bring to reality.
It is hopeful that when the youth of the country take the issues in their hands, the solutions ideated will be more inclusive and forward, suitable to the current times. Pressing issues like climate change will get a place on the table of the Parliament, and the procedures will be more likely to be efficient and prompt. Only when the massive young population of the country is given the required power in hands to implement a change, can our country work towards double-digit growth, and that is exactly what ‘Youth in Politics’ is trying to bring to reality.