Minimum educational qualification be necessary for contesting elections
It refers to MP Cabinet Minister Imarti Devi with important portfolio of Women and Child Development having failed to read even a written Hindi script while unfurling Tricolour in Gwalior on occasion of Republic Day 26.01.2019, despite her havng passed 12th class as per records. 3-time MLA Imarti Devi felt relieved when Gwalior Collector offered and subsequently read rest of the written script on behalf of her. Incident also depicts standard of school-education when a person having passed 12thclass could not read a Hindi script.
It is indeed an irony that while every government-job has requirement for some minimum educational qualification, there is no such requirement to contest elections when uneducated persons become law-makers and even ministers ruling well educated bureacrats. Legislation must be amended whereby only grasduates and above may be able to contest elections. Rathere it may be made compulsory to pass a specially designed test to contest elections.
Incident all recalls of another member reading oath on behalf of George Fernandes as Rajya Sabha member because of his total inability because of non-recoverable diseses. Fitness certificate should also be necessary to contest elections together with provision of some maximum age to retain membership of lower Houses of legislature at centre and in states.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL