The age of India’s leaders has steadily risen, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Discussions on ageing in Indian politics intensified after Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down as Vice-President due to age-related health issues.
• RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion that leaders retire at 75 sparked debate, contrasting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuing in office past that age.
• The BJP's unofficial age limit of 75, symbolized by the Margadarshak Mandal, highlights the ongoing question of retirement for politicians.
• The 18th Lok Sabha is the oldest yet, with the average age of parliamentarians rising from 46.5 years in 1952 to 56 years by 2014.

Detailed Insights:

• Gerontocracy, or rule by the elderly, is a recurring theme globally, seen in leaders like U.S. President Joseph Biden and Brazil’s President Lula da Silva.
• Analysis of Indian Prime Ministers' ages reveals an upward trend, with the median age rising from 66 during Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure to 76 by 2014.
• The median age of Chief Ministers has increased modestly from 57 in the 1950s to 59.5 in the 2020s, peaking at 62.25 between 2010-2020.
• The share of younger members (25–40 years) in the Lok Sabha has declined sharply from 25-30% in the early years to under 10%.
• While younger leaders are emerging, veteran politicians like Prakash Singh Badal and M. Karunanidhi have served well into their late 80s and 90s.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Gerontocracy: Rule by a group of old men or elders, often associated with experience and traditional authority.
• Margadarshak Mandal: An advisory group within the BJP, often seen as a symbolic retirement cell for senior leaders.
• Median Age: The age at which half of the individuals in a group are older, and half are younger, providing a central measure of age distribution.