Telangana Cabinet to Meet on Aug 14 on Lowering Election Age and Welfare Schemes

The Telangana state cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday, August 14, to discuss a draft resolution regarding the lowering of the minimum age required to contest elections, alongside approving key government initiatives. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to seek approval for launching smart ration card distribution in Sangareddy and Mulugu, as well as finalize details for his upcoming international tour aimed at attracting foreign universities to Hyderabad and Bharat Future City.

The proposed draft resolution focuses on reducing the minimum eligible age for contesting assembly and Lok Sabha elections from 25 to 21 years. Additionally, it addresses reducing the age requirement for Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections from 30 to 25 years. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy previously demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensure a Bill on this issue is taken up during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament, alongside pending legislation on delimitation and women’s reservation.

The initiative follows an announcement made by the Chief Minister in the last week of July, when he stated that a special joint session of the Telangana legislature would be convened specifically to discuss and pass a Bill to lower the election age.

In addition to the draft resolution on election age, the cabinet meeting will review and approve upcoming public welfare programmes across the state. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is set to launch the distribution of new smart ration cards and other state programmes on August 15 in Sangareddy district. On August 16, a similar launch of development programmes is scheduled to take place in Mulugu district.

The cabinet meeting will further discuss the Chief Minister’s proposed foreign tour, which could begin any time after August 17. The primary objective of the international visit is to invite foreign universities to establish campuses in and around Hyderabad and the Bharat Future City.