PANJIM: There are 17 MLAs in the 40-member Legislative Assembly who are graduates and post-graduates while 18 have studied between Class VIII and Class XII.
The data analysis, released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) indicates that 45 percent, which means 18 MLAs have declared their educational qualification to be between Class VIII and Class XII, while 43 percent – 17 MLAs – have declared having an educational qualification of graduate, graduate professional and post-graduate.
Two from the Congress and one Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLAs are only Class VIII pass whereas seven MLAs – five Congress, one each from BJP and MGP have completed Class X and eight of them – four BJP, two Congress, one Goa Forward Party (GFP) and one Independent – have passed Class XII.
Most of the others – 10 MLAs – have completed graduation of which four are Congressmen, three BJP, two GFP and one MGP. Similarly, three BJP MLAs and one Congress MLA are professionals, and two Congress and one BJP have completed their post graduation. The five remaining MLAs have done “other courses”.
On the age details of MLAs, the report indicates that none have declared their age to be below 40 years as 18 (45%) MLAs are between 40-50 years while 22 (55%) MLAs have declared their age to be between 51-80 years. There are 11 legislators who are in their post-retirement age. In the 2012 Goa Assembly elections, 24 (60%) MLAs had declared their age to be between 31 and 50 years while 16 (40%) MLAs had declared their age to be between 51 and 80 years. Average age of MLAs in 2017 is 52.8 years whereas average age of MLAs in 2012 was 48.7 years.
