Dynastic inheritance is ingrained in Indian political system but a good number of youth in India is opposed to this trend, says a new survey.

“Youths across social categories are united against dynasty politics,” says a survey of New Delhi-based think-tank centre for study of developing societies (CSDS).

According to the survey ‘Indian Youth and Politics: An Emerging Engagement’, “53 percent youth and 48 percent older respondents said that children of politicians opting to become polticians is a wrong trend.”

“While most of the young respondents are in principle against dynasty politics but when it is between choosing young dynastic leader over an old one, young leader is a unanimous choice,” the survey clarifies.

The survey is based on data collected from 2,565 voters in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country. A total of 1,532 respondents were from the age group of 18-33 and 1,033 were above 34 years.

The study says that more young urban respondents are against dynasty politics than their rural counterparts. In 2011, British author Patrick French in his book ‘India: A Portrait’ wrote that 28 percent MPs in the current Lok Sabha belong to political dynasties. More than 66 percent of young MPs under 40 years hail from families with political background.

“If given a chance, around 34 percent youth is willing to take up politics as career,” says the survey. More urban youths want to opt for politics than their rural counterparts. “About 77 percent young men want to enter politics and among women it is 48 percent,” the survey highlights.  

However, the survey also says that the reason behind 66 percent youth not opting for politics as career is because they do not have a connection. “Those reluctant to take up politics see lack acquaintance with political leaders and a family background as a serious hindrance,” said Sanjay Kumar, principal investigator of the study.

The survey points out that more youth is now participating in protests and demonstration than they used to a decade ago.

It also says that electoral reforms got support among the youth. The reforms have four ideas: right to recall, right to reject, compulsory voting and fixing an upper age limit for contesting elections.

“Of all the four electoral reforms, support for right to recall is highest among both (69 percent) young and old (57 percent),” points out the survey.

It took two years to complete the survey in which 14 Lok Sabha constituencies were geographically dispersed.