ISAS Insights

This paper explores the changing social composition of India’s Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) beginning from its first term in 1952 until the current or 16^th Lok Sabha, which began its term in 2014. The paper looks at five distinct social characteristics of the members of parliament – age, occupation, education, caste and gender – and links transformations over time in these variables to the performance of the parliament and the larger narrative of its dysfunctionality.