SC to hear plea on fixing candidates’ qualifications

A Supreme Court Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi will hear on March 25 a petition to direct political parties to field candidates aged below 75 with a minimum qualification of graduation.

The petition, filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, said the functions performed by legislators were vital to democracy. "... to have a legislator who didn't even go to college is unfathomable," it said.

The petition said the functions performed by legislators were vital to democracy and there is no reason why they should be held to lower standards than municipal councilors and gram pradhans.

"In many States, candidates for municipal councilor and gram pradhan certainly would not be considered at all if they are illiterate," it argued.