Assembly elections 2017: 69% of UP's MLAs are not graduates

Equally significant is the high percentage of MLAs who have not indicated anything about themselves

Those whom voters elect serve as mirrors of society. Uttar Pradesh is no different. An analysis of the background of the elected members of the 403 seats in the UP Assembly in 2012 reveals of the current MLAs, 62 per cent are between the age of 45 years and 65 years, while only two per cent are below 35 years. The minimum age for contesting elections is 25 years. 

Of the 404 MLAs (403 elected and one nominated), 13 per cent completed secondary school (10th standard), while 15 per cent completed intermediate (12th standard). Additionally, 31 per cent are graduates and 36 per cent postgraduates.  

 

Several MLAs declared more than one profession. Seventy-six per cent declared they were associated with agriculture, 33 per cent with business and nine per cent with law. Some of the other professions they are associated with are teaching, health care, journalism and social work.  

 

 

Equally significant is the high percentage of those MLAs who have simply not indicated anything about themselves: How educated they are, for instance.

MLAs from the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) asked fewer questions in the Assembly on average (about four per MLA) compared to MLAs from the opposition parties (about 70 per MLA).  This differs from the trend in Parliament, where there is little difference between the number of questions asked by MPs from the ruling and opposition parties.

---

Data and analysis: PRS and Aditi Phadnis