61st Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
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Amended Article 326.
Quick recall
- What did the 61st Amendment do?
- Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
- Which Article was amended?
- Article 326.
- When was it passed?
- 1988.
- What is adult suffrage?
- Every adult citizen can vote without restrictions of property, education or gender.
- When was the voter age change first applied in a general election?
- 1989.
- When is National Voters' Day?
- 25 January.
Asked before in UPSC
Recurring theme: Nature of the right to vote and universal adult franchise
The 61st Amendment changed Article 326 to lower the voting age, which helps show that the vote is a constitutional and statutory right, not a fundamental one.
Tests the status of the vote under Article 326, the provision the 61st Amendment amended.
The basics
Why it matters
The 61st Amendment (1988) lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, bringing millions of young people into elections.
How it worked
The change was made in Article 326.
- 1Article 326Adult suffrage clause amended
- 2Age21 lowered to 18
- 3EffectFirst applied in the 1989 general election
You now know
- The 61st Amendment (1988) lowered the voting age to 18.
- It amended Article 326.
- It was first applied in the 1989 general election.
- Article 326 provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage.
Go deeper
In one line: The 61st Amendment gave 18-year-olds the vote.
Why it matters for UPSC
It connects to Universal adult suffrage and youth participation.
The core idea
India adopted adult suffrage from the start, unusual for a poor, largely non-literate country. Lowering the age deepened it; Voter registration rules decide who actually gets on the rolls.
Where to go next
- Universal adult suffrage: Every adult's right to vote
- Voter registration: Getting on the electoral roll
In one line: Voting age is one part of participation; registration and turnout matter too.
Registration
Since 2022, young people can register on four qualifying dates a year, not just 1 January.
Participation
Youth turnout and awareness campaigns such as SVEEP. See Universal adult suffrage and Voter registration.
Where to go next
- Universal adult suffrage: Every adult's right to vote
- Voter registration: Getting on the electoral roll
Universal adult suffrage
Every adult's right to vote
In one line: Universal adult suffrage means every adult citizen can vote, regardless of property, education, caste or gender.
In India
Adopted from the first election in 1951-52 under Article 326.
Significance
It made political equality a founding principle.
Where to go next
- Voter registration: Getting on the electoral roll
Voter registration
Getting on the electoral roll
In one line: Voter registration adds eligible citizens to the electoral roll.
Process
Form 6 for new voters; rolls are revised periodically.
Qualifying dates
Four dates a year since 2022: 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October.
Where to go next
- Universal adult suffrage: Every adult's right to vote
Prelims-style quiz
The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 by the:
- 73rd Amendment
- 61st Amendment
- 52nd Amendment
- 86th Amendment
Show answer
Answer: (b) 61st Amendment. The 61st Amendment, 1988.
Adult suffrage is provided under:
- Article 324
- Article 326
- Article 327
- Article 325
Show answer
Answer: (b) Article 326. Article 326.
Consider the following:
1. The 61st Amendment was passed in 1988.
2. It also lowered the age to contest elections to 18.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 only. The candidacy age for the Lok Sabha remains 25.
National Voters' Day is observed on:
- 15 August
- 25 January
- 2 October
- 26 January
Show answer
Answer: (b) 25 January. 25 January, the Election Commission's foundation day.