Politics
Career As A Politician in India
Politics has not always been considered as a mainstream career, as there is no formal educational requirement or ‘entrance test’ . Typically people have entered the field of politics after pursuing another career, although the trends are evolving and people are now directly joining the field of politics.
As a career, politics has a lot to offer, depending on your success. Most importantly, you will have a chance to improve the country, by making choices that will help the people. Everything comes down to passion and decision-making skills, as the faith of voters is what will ultimately decide your success in the field.
Your ‘entrance exam’ in politics would be to contest elections, and salary would be dependent on which post you are elected for. In addition, if you are elected there are plenty of governmental perks that come with the role.
For MLAs, perks include daily allowances, accommodation, travel, medical coverage, constituency allowance and office expenses allowance. MPs receive an air travel allowance, residence, electricity, water and more. Another major perk of serving as an elected representative is a lifelong pension which increases based on years served.
How To Become A Politician in India
Important criteria
You must be a citizen of India. You must be over the age of 25. You must be a registered voter in any Indian parliamentary constituency.
To become a politician, the best way is to start at a grassroots level, by volunteering and working with a political party that matches your ideals. You can volunteer or intern with political parties during elections and political rallies to gain practical experience and a better understanding of the ground reality of how politics works. Increase your visibility and social media presence with effective posts to build your brand name as a budding politician.
To join the field of politics, you can join student bodies of political groups such as ABVP and NSUI, which will provide you with a great platform to gain practical knowledge of how politics works. Popular universities such as Delhi University (DU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) are well-known as political hubs where students are often recruited by political parties.
While in college you can join debate societies, participate in public speaking, parliamentary debates and in Model United Nations (MUN) panels to hone and polish your oratory, debating and critical-thinking skills.
Take part in events and in activities related to your focus areas, for example, women empowerment, better healthcare, etc. Participating in student wings of political parties directly from a college level is a great way to enter the field of politics.
Political Science
The study of political science, whether at an undergraduate level with a BA Political Science or at the masters level with an M.A Political Science, is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a career in politics. The course studies the theory and application of politics and political systems. After studying political science, you can pursue a job in the same field, such as in political journalism, civil services, or teaching, or you can directly transition into a job in politics, by working with political groups.