Educational Criteria for Indian Politicians Doesnt Exist

Previous political experience is the only thing that gets weightage while an MP or an MLA is
nominated from a constituency. Being educationally qualified is not an obligation for any Indian
aspiring to get into a politicians shoe. Its quite baffling to note that the erstwhile Bihar Chief Minister
did not complete her junior school. In fact, former and present Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu couldnt
pursue education after matriculation. At a time when India is trying to increase its clout as a powerful
player in global politics, such dismal facts set a wrong precedence. Moreover, it doesnt augur well
with the collective aspirations of the countrymen.
Why India Needs Educated Politicians?
An analogy is drawn between a company head and a politician as both must possess the aptitude
for understanding the complexities of their challenges to take the development engine forward.
Without a certain level of education, it becomes difficult for a politician to have a grasp over the real
issues of the people and get deep into their pain areas. As a representative of people at large, it
always helps a political leader to remain well-informed. He obviously needs some academic backing
to be able to acquire knowledge and be in sync with the developments taking place around him.
One might claim that visionary leaders in the past were not always erudite scholars. True. But that
doesnt offset the fact that the political landscape has gone through a drastic change in postglobalisation era, and India cannot afford to have leaders who are not as competent as their global
peers.
In absence of formal education, it becomes even more arduous for a politician to implement laws
and form a concrete idea about the fundamentals of governance. It can also be argued that if
individuals aspiring for government jobs are required to go through a strict screening process even
after meeting the academic criteria, then why should there be no such eligibility requirement for the
ones who are running the government? Isnt it frustrating for the highly educated IAS and IPS
officers to work under the uneducated leaders?
Further, an educated politician can prove more effective in stemming corruption. The cases of public
servants getting mired in controversies would come down if someone academically sound holds the
reign and doles out his responsibilities of doing checks and balances.
What Should be the Minimum Educational Criteria for Politicians?
In order to raise the standard of political debate in the parliament and focus on developmental
politics, a minimum education criteria should be made compulsory and the same clause should be
duly included in our constitution. Presently there is a widening rift between politicians and the
common people. The knowledge gap has become evident today.

In such a scenario, Indian government could contemplate on introducing a periodic assessment

system for the existing MPs to understand their grasp over local history, economy and politics. This
could be done when the Parliament sits for the budget, monsoon and winter sessions. The same
model can be replicated in state legislatures.
For the would-be politicians, lawmakers should frame academic criteria that should not be too
demanding or excessively lenient. A somewhat strong exposure to education would complement a
candidates inherent skills such as diplomacy, foresight and intelligence.
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