The Commission had found itself in an unenviable position earlier this week when former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta, who is heading the Parliamentary Commission on Electoral Reforms termed the EC's suggestion for certain minimum educational qualifications as ``impractical''.

Referring to Election Commissioner G V G Krishnamurty's suggestion that matriculation be fixed as the minimum qualification for candidates contesting elections, Gupta had said that such a move would restrict people's right to vote or contest elections.

A country-wide survey has found out that more than 80 per cent of the respondents favour minimum educational qualifications for legislators though there were varied responses on what the minimum qualification should be.

Prior to the last two elections, there have been increasing demands from sectionsof the public that a minimum educational criteria be applied to election candidates so that they can adequately conduct their twin responsibilities as people's representatives and as lawmakers.

When the founding fathers enacted the Representation of the People Act, 1951, no educational qualifications were prescribed since many political leaders had quit their studies mid-way to participate in the country's freedom struggle.

But even in those early days leaders like B R Ambedkar, Drafting Committee of the Constitution chairman, and Rajendra Prasad, Constituent Assembly president, had emphasised the need for higher qualifications.

The survey which was conducted by the Delhi-based Centre for Media and Cultural Research at 20 centres around the country polled the opinions of around 10,000 respondents between July 9 and 30 this year. Over 83 percent of urban respondents stressed that they would prefer to vote for a candidate with a clean image, who is educated and has no criminal background.

With nearly 3percent illiterate legislators in the country, Krishnamurty has been emphasising that to discharge their duties legislators have to be able to both read and understand the nuances of laws that govern the society.

If Standard VIII education is prescribed for a peon's job in government, matriculation for an attender and graduation for a clerk, it is ``amazing'' that no educational qualification is required to become an MLA, MP, a minister, a chief minister or even the prime minister of the country, Krishnamurty argues.

In the eleventh Lok Sabha, as many as 117 Lok Sabha members and 26 Rajya Sabha members are non-graduates. Among 4,072 legislators, nearly three per cent are estimated to be illiterates. Some legislators call themselves ``literate'' when they are only just about able to affix their signatures.

The survey has also found that more than 62 per cent respondents wanted political parties to put up only educated persons as candidates and insisted on minimum educational qualifications for candidatesby amending the Constitution and election laws.

However, on the other hand, Krishnamurty's position has been criticised with the critics arguing that the State, having failed to make universal primary education available to all sections of society, enforcing a mandatory minimum educational qualification to contest polls would not be good in taste.