Election and Educational Qualifications: Is there any relationship?

Politics has been my love from the time I started understanding Politics and the way our
government functions. Civics gives us the basic knowledge pertaining how democracy works
.When we read our textbooks then we understood how three organs that is Legislature, Judiciary
and Executive works. We made the largest and longest constitution in the world and the biggest
achievement the largest democracy of the whole world. Surpassing all the criticism and
disappointment we have survived in midst of through Congress System,Bjps Hidutva
philosphy,CPIs dominant era,Nationalisation,Liberalisation,endless scams and several terror
attacks.

If I have to share my own belief on the topic I think we need to understand how democracy
works. The most basic way to understand democracy is the quote by LincolnDemocracy is of
the people by the people and for the people. People are the cell of democracy and without them
the existence of democracy ceases to exist. Democracy has evolved immensely from the form of
Democracy which was in existence in athens.From the era when democracy was limited to a
small area we practice democracy in our daily lives in every essence or at least strive towards. It
has expanded its arena to unimaginable boundaries and is ruling the lives of the second largest
pop ululated country in the world. It is hard to imagine an era for us where possessing property
used to be a criteria for people to vote and here we are having the right to vote in everyones
hands. The era where election was an elites dominant play opened its horizons and made its
presence felt through unimaginable feeling where I proudly saw blue ink on my index finger
without realising that moment this is where democracy is. When I voted, I admit we all are
swayed by personal biases and ideologies but then I believe that is how people vote. Biases are
bound be everywhere, what matters is to the extent logic can seep in our biases. I voted for an
educated candidate. Will his/her education matter when he/she will handle administration? It
will. There will be education in every step imbedded in his/her brain to frame better policies.
Education lightens us. Our personal beliefs and ideas take a 3d turn with fresh perspective
thrown on us by the enigma of education. But did I vote for him with his educational background
lingering on the back of my mind? Yes! But what is my belief on the topic given is in negative.
There are two perspectives I took on the topic given. The first one is-Is there a need for any
educational criteria for candidates to contest election.
Second one is-Is there a need for any educational criteria for voters? Let us focus on the first
topic.

To me, education and election needs to remain separate. In short if we try to understand election
then the two basic units are the voters and the political candidate. They both turn and bring
turmoils and possess the capacity to bring revolution and dictatorship in every state. One votes
for another. The reason is simple. The candidate shares the reformation, policies and the changes
which he/she can bring once selected. Now the psychology can differ from person to person.
Who is the person we all can vote for? One who knows us? When I read this question on Quora I
was impressed by one answer which said that What is Politics? Politics is is not about
representation be becoming a MP or MLA.It is rather simply about being able to voice your
opinion on people behalfs opinion. No matter where the crowd traces its roots. As long as one
possesses the courage in that place in heart where you gather the bravery to tell wrong that you
are wrong along with the reason you can represent people.

The most fundamental reason I believe there should not be an educational criteria to contest
election is that it will hinder people from contesting election. We are not living in India. Where if
we open our mind from social network sites we will be able to discover that education is still in
shambles. It exists as a form of luxury for people. The optimism for a better and educated future
is dies when they see the reluctance in the education being provided to them. Definitely
education rate has grown. Government has made Right to Education our fundamental right but to
transform policies from mere typing it and transforming it in the peoples lives consists of grass
root level hard work which I personally fail to see. Mid day meal scheme failed miserably. Moot
point is not about criticisng governments education policies but about realising the reality with
open eyes that basic education as criteria for election will deprive 50% of our population from
contesting election. Supreme Court also expressed its opinion that including education as a
criteria for contesting election We are really worried about fixing of educational qualification as
an eligibility criteria to contest elections," a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre
said1.In a country where there is a need for people to encourage participation in election we will
simply deprive them from taking the basic step towards it. Education when is still a dream for

1
http://www.firstpost.com/india/minimum-education-criteria-would-bar-50-from-contesting-panchayat-elections-
supreme-court-2441232.html
people we want to supress the inherent abilities which they might possess to become politician
which has no relation with the possessing a particular degree. Despite the various policies the
drop out rate in the schools is so high. We are not interested in discovering the reasons behind it
but rather in labeling them as ineligible and hindering their ability to adminster,lead or simply
having the power to give a voice to the basic issues of the place they reside in.Our country is
modernizing everyday but still the people resides in the far off places. No contradiction with the
fact that internet connection is raising awareness but the nexus between real education and
internet connectivity is highly questionable. if we discuss the issue of tribes where education
prevalence is low, leh ladakh and lowly represented populations, then where will education come
in importance instead there is the need of feeling the needs of that place and peoples and the
person who will rise among them only can understand the needs in the best possible way.
Education can no doubt give you the information, data and knowledge you need to administer
you need but to voice peoples hopes you need that connectivity. This is where we need to
always remember that when we grew as a form of government in all political systems we never
compromised with the virtue of equality and right to equal opportunity is what we are literally
snatching away from 50 % of our population ignoring the reasons for their low education. If one
advocates that there should be educational criteria till 10th at least then we fail to see the
inconsistency behind it that future will see the raise in the educational criteria not the decrease
while education rate will not increase. The deep seated intention is to exclude people and
ultimately outcast them by denying political reperesentation.Even if we do include education as a
criteria for contesting election we need to remember the education system prevalent in few
northern states where people pass with open books and paper leak is never an astonishing news
for people. The long story of Vyapam Scam of Madhya Pradesh who boasts of being Hindustan
ka dil saw unearthing of biggest education scam which took more than 40 peoples lives shows
how scam is prevalent in central areas then far off places are another scenario.2Along with this,
Maharashtra Scam and Assam Scam are also in the list. The idea of including education in
contesting election has the prospect of increasing this education scam as seen in Rajasthan where
fake mark sheets and transfer certificates were caught by Sikar Police. Ratio of people framing
fake certificate if happens can create a new issue in future for government to handle.

2
http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-vyapam-scam-that-is-killing-
people-115070600446_1.html
Our country where educations emphasis is on remembering data and graphs rather than creating
the ability to question them people expecting that including education will increase the
administration forget that the basic need is to focus on increasing and reforming education as
education is much more than simply being able to read and write your name in one language and
the ability to lead and having a vision are the qualities education can definitely increase but
simultaneously they can exist while having no education at all.

Plato who is one of the ancient geek philosophers advocated the principle of philosopher king
where it is suggested the educated should rule. It is indeed justified that those having the ability
to rule should rule but the era we live in emphasis on equal opportunity to prove themselves.
Democracy loses its essence if its basic essence is lost on the basic unit of election is itself based
upon depriving the opportunity to contest election in the biggest democracy of World.

The argument that the ills from which India is suffering range from over
population,corruption,scarcity of resources all root in inefficient governance.Definitely,most of
the issues can be done away with politicians acting with proper implementation but we need to
realise that these issues run much deeper than simply inserting a change expecting radical
changes to happen. The issue of good governance is the responsibility of other two organs of the
government that is of executive and judiciary as well. These three organs have their assigned
their roles which they derive from our constitution. The issues unresolved by executive and
legislature are left with judiciary to solve.

When all MPs and Mlas sit in parliament to discuss the issues which pertains wide issues from
medicine, law, technology basically all public policy issue then it is not hard to assume that most
of them would be unaware of all of the issues. We are not decreasing their credentials but simply
denoting the level of expertise they would not possess and this is where bearucrats will come into
picture by extending their help and familiarisng all the MPs and MLAs with the intricate details
of the proposed bill. It is not much complicated to assume that they both would on almost the
same if not on equal place. The idea is that it is much simpler to label someone as uneducated
and exclude them rather than trying to include them and presenting them with equal
opportunities.
The second issue can be of including education as criteria for right to vote. Now this is an idea of
completely questioning the concept of Universal Adult Suffrage. The society in its essence but
the proposal of including education in determining the voters eligibility suddenly dawns upon
me that I am being taken back to the society where you needed fulfill certain qualification of
possessing certain amount of property and being a woman or slave completely throws you off
from the category of voters.

Already vote bank politics runs so deep and electoral reforms have failed to tackle it that this
suggestion is another issue. Education has been used as a major weapon to exploit the power and
position by politicians. One of the reasons of continuous failure of education reforms is to lower
the education to increase the ignorance of public about national issues. Now, the basic right to
vote established by criteria of education suddenly takes us back to the pre-independence era and
it proves futile the struggle led against colonial powers. The idea behind this denial of Education
criteria would confine the election boundary to a closed arena of elite where the educated people
would decide the rules and regulations for the left people and uneducated people would be left
with no option rather than waiting for their chance to have the eligibility to vote.

Democracy has so much to offer as a system. The most celebrated system of government will
break down if the voter who initiates the whole system will find his/her qualification of existing
questionable when even after being rightful citizen. It is hard to imagine my right to vote being
denied because of reasons not known to the society who considers it the rightful decision of
adding educational criteria rather than actually taking the rightful steps of promoting education.
The relationship between Election and Educational Qualification no doubt exists and to some it
does not. The politics of excluding a mass population from voting on the basis of criteria mostly
have no control over which is ironically controlled by those bringing forth this amendment seems
unjust to me. Dimensions between the relationships of two can be dynamic. Arguments can run
easily that if we see the level of politics in India which is decided by irrelevant criteria rather
than credentials than education can come across as a radical approach which is never an
objectionable approach. But it needs to be remembered that the policies for the democracy such
as India can never be hastened.

If we the behavior of voters in connection with elections then it is easily deducible that the
relevant criteria for young generation are the burning issues of development, education, safety
and health issue. But what I see is that the dynamics of vote bank politics changes and voters fail
to see the politics behind those lofty goals and while earlier vote banks concentrated on caste the
new agendas are created to attract new generation. Elections are such complicated matter yet it
has inception in two units of voters and candidate. Election Commission of India has been given
immense power to handle election and they rightfully exercise their powers.

The relationship can take multi dimensions with education being connected with election but the
most important is that Democracy is our savior and it should always be. Debate continues and
opposition of views only enriches the issue but the essence of election is the upliftment of the
whole society. This society will be benefitted to the best if the marginalized section is benefitted.
I read a quote by Mahatma Gandhi in which he gives a talisman. He describes that if you want to
know if you want to know if your step will benefit or not then close your eyes if this will benefit
the least advantaged person if it can then the step should be taken.

Election and Education both drives our life. While we may criticize government but the reality is
that we fail to celebrate government. We have the biggest democracy and there is a need to
understand the role of citizens in the smooth functioning democracy. If we as being a privileged
citizen increase our role then revolution is a not a dream.

Lastly, I would end this article with the thought that indeed education and election possess
intricate relationship but where education is still a far dream for people and half of the population
will directly lose the right to representation this relationship should strive towards promoting
education and then establish a nexus for the furthering of existence of our democracy.