Mumbai: As the country is all set to constitute the 18th Lok Sabha, the Indian parliament is getting older with 52% of the Members of Parliament are above 55 years of age. A latest research about the profile of the 18th Lok Sabha also highlights that 78% of the MPs have completed their undergraduate education while 5% hold a doctorate degree.
On Tuesday, the results were announced for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections choosing their representatives from the 543 constituencies across the country. The number of political parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections increased from 36 in the 2019 elections to 41 in 2024. The national parties won 346 seats, state parties won 179 seats, whereas 11 seats have been won by unrecognised parties, and 7 by independent candidates.
PRS Legislative Research, a non-profit organisation that works as an independent research institute to make the legislative process better informed, more transparent and participatory, published their report about the vital stats of the 18th Lok Sabha.
According to the report, the soon-to-be-formed 18th Lok Sabha will be the oldest parliament in the history of independent India as for the first time 52% of the MPs are older than 55 years of age. Although the average age of the MPs has fallen down to 56 years from 59 years in the 17th Lok Sabha, the ratio of older MPs outstrips the numbers of young MPs.
Out of the 543 elected MPs, 11% of them are 40 years or younger and 38% are between the age of 41 and 55 years. However, for the first time, 52% of MPs in the parliament are older than 55 years with the oldest MP being 82 years old. Amid these old parliamentarians, three MPs elected to the 18th Lok Sabha are also as young as 25 years old.
The PRS Legislative Research also says that 78% of the MPs have completed at least undergraduate education, while 5% of the MPs have a doctoral degree, including three women MPs.
“The proportion of MPs who have completed undergraduate education increased steadily from the 1st Lok Sabha till the 11th (1996-98). Since then, the proportion of MPs who have not attended college has increased. However, this figure has decreased from 27% in the 17th Lok Sabha to 22% in the 18th Lok Sabha,” the research said.
