Political leaders all over the world, like all other professionals, are motivated by a desire to improve their careers; they want to remain in power and positions by hook or crook. So, they want to win the elections at any cost. But, the Election Commission of India (ECI) in order to ensure elections are held in a free and fair manner has brought in a lot of reforms and changes over the years. As a result, educated youths are now largely attracted to join politics and contest elections.

With every election, the base of our democracy has widened. This is particularly important in view of the fact that in most of the countries which attained independence after the second World War have seen military dictatorship or one-party system but India persisted with multi-party democracy with remarkable stability. Indian democracy has been considered the largest democracy in the world but it is also true that economic development of our country has not been on the expected level. The institutional changes over the years should have led to an egalitarian order.

Our parliamentary democracy has been passing through a very critical period. Though the Government has granted universal adult franchise, giving a sense of identity and recognition to all and sundry, still, we are lacking political independence. Before motivating the youngsters to join electoral competition, the composition and function of the union legislature should be known to them. 

The functions of the Government are generally divided into three parts, such as legislative or the functions of making laws, executive or the functions of implementations of laws and judiciary or the functions to check the correctness of the laws passed by the legislature and their due implementations by the executive. Judiciary can declare the laws passed by the legislature as null and void if it finds them to be violating the constitution and the decision of the executive as ultra-vires if it is not found in conformity with the laws of the country. Our parliament is a lawmaking body; it also serves as an organ of information. Through the question hour and various other modes and procedures, the people of the country get to know many things from the deliberations in the House.

During the last 76 years of India’s independence, India has witnessed both successes and failures in running the democratic process. The people of our country have witnessed success by way of the Chandrayaan Mission and running of the metro underwater. Our country has achieved success in many fields; it has a viable constitution and strong democratic traditions but it is true that there have been many aberrations.

So, it’s time for the young intellectuals to join politics and take part in debates and discussions in the Parliament or Assemblies and help frame the right laws at the right time. Any person, who is a citizen of India and is not less than 25 years of age, can stand as a candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. A Government servant, an insolvent and a mentally unsound person cannot contest for the membership of Lok Sabha. Our country is looking forward to the upright, sincere, honest and young intellectuals with hope to keep the bright flame of Indian democracy afloat.

(Dr Roy is a former faculty, DMS, Regional Institute of Education, NCERT, Bhubaneswar)