Gen Z loud on the streets but invisible in Parliament

Gen Z, also called Zoomers, is the name for people born between 1997 and 2012.

They are the first generation to grow up with smartphones, social media and the internet all around them.

In India, Gen Z makes up more than one quarter of the total population.

But inside India's Parliament and state assemblies, there are very few Gen Z politicians.

Across the whole country, only 26 lawmakers belong to Gen Z — six in the national Parliament and 20 in state assemblies.

One big reason is that a person must be at least 25 years old to run for office in India.

In the 2024 national elections, 98 people from Gen Z ran, but only six won.

By the year 2029, Gen Z could become the biggest group of voters in India.

Demographers expect Gen Z to be about 26.3% of the population by 2031.

This matters because young people could shape the future of Indian democracy.