Proposal to Lower Minimum Age for Contesting Elections
Why in news?
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy announced that the State Assembly will pass a resolution urging the Centre to amend the Constitution to lower the minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections from 25 to 21 years.
Key points
- Telangana Assembly to pass a resolution seeking to reduce the contesting age for MPs and MLAs to 21.
- The move aims to increase representation of Gen Z in legislatures.
- It draws parallels with past constitutional amendments that expanded youth participation (voting age reduced to 18, local body contesting age 21).
- The resolution will be forwarded to the Prime Minister.
Background & context
Currently, the minimum age to be elected as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) or a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) is 25 years, as per Articles 84 and 173 of the Constitution. The voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments enabled 21-year-olds to contest local body elections.
★ Prelims fact capsule
Article 84(b) and Article 173(b) of the Constitution prescribe the minimum age of 25 years for membership of Parliament and State Legislature respectively.
✎ Mains relevance
GS Paper II: Constitution, Polity, Governance; Amendments to the Constitution; Representation of youth in governance.