The strength of India lies in its youth and their participation is central to a developed nation
The custodian of the Parliament and that of the state legislative assembly is termed the Speaker; however, his or her role is ironically often associated with silence. As the members of the House speak, argue, or debate, the Speaker is expected to be a referee rather than a participant. The present Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who recently visited Goa to inaugurate the first conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Zone VII—India Region, had interactions with various groups, including the Goa University students and the media persons, besides addressing the conference.
The Speaker, during all these occasions, expressed his confidence in youth power and hoped that good leaders would emerge out of the young generation of the country. His view is in tune with that of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is actively urging India’s youth to enter politics, thus aiming to bring 1 lakh new, non-dynastic young leaders into the political fold to transform the nation while promoting initiatives like the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament.
Birla, while addressing the CPA conference, highlighted the crucial role of young legislators in nation-building and achieving the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He also spoke about the importance of youth, observing that young legislators bear a greater responsibility in driving progress and fulfilling the aspirations of the people. The Lok Sabha Speaker, later interacting with the university students, said that the strength of India lies in its youth and that their participation is central to achieving the goal of a developed nation, as young people have played key roles at critical moments in the country’s history.
In a press briefing, Birla said that young Indians have historically driven change, from the freedom struggle to modern development. He also said that young leadership is fast rising in the country, as many youth are also being elected as members of Parliament as well as assemblies. The Lok Sabha Speaker observed that young Parliamentarians and MLAs have novel ideas and carry expertise in using new technologies like AI, while the senior members have long legislative experience. He further pointed out that both these qualities could help in running the parliamentary institutions effectively.
Interestingly, the data from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections indicate that the percentage of young members—defined as those under 35 years or 40 years—in Indian politics remains quite low as compared to the country’s youth demographic. Of the 543 Members of Parliament, 43.09 per cent are aged 56 years to 70 years, and 37.75 per cent are between 41 years and 55 years. Together, they make up 80.84 percent of the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, only 9.94 percent—about 54 members—are between 25 years and 40 years. While India has a very young population with 65 percent of it being under 35 years, the average age of members in the Lok Sabha typically hovers around 50 years to 55 years, making it a relatively older institution. The under-40 representation had been equally low in many state elections held in 2024, with only 10 percent or fewer MLAs aged 40 or younger in assemblies.
India may be a young nation, but it has an aging Parliament and even aging assemblies. This critically low youth representation in the Indian parliamentary institutions is a matter of concern. Birla has shown genuine interest in attracting youth towards politics. Now he should follow up the issue with the political parties, including his own Bharatiya Janata Party.
