Degrees of separation: In 17th LS, 27% of MPs had studied up to Class 12

Profile of present-day Lower House, progression of MP profiles over time bear review ahead of 18th Lok Sabha

Even as work is scheduled to begin to find candidates for the 18th Lok Sabha (LS), the profile of the current Lower House and the progression of Members of Parliament’s (MPs’) profiles over the years bear review. In the 17th LS, 27 per cent of MPs had studied up to Class 12. By comparison, the 16th LS had 20 per cent of MPs who had studied up to Class 12.

Since 1996, at least 75 per cent of the representatives of each LS have been graduates.

In the first LS (1952), the most common job MPs held was in the