The Congress party on Saturday announced the first phase of a national campaign led by senior leader Rahul Gandhi against paper leaks, exam irregularities and unemployment, accusing the Narendra Modi government of “systematic betrayal” of India’s youth.
The month-long awareness programme, which will include student conferences in all major cities, seeks accountability for repeated irregularities in examinations, demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and calls for a parliamentary debate on the rights and future of students and job aspirants.
“The campaign will highlight the hardships faced by millions of young Indians whose future is repeatedly jeopardized by paper leakage, rising examination costs and the government’s failure to ensure a fair and transparent employment and education system,” KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary, said in a statement.
Gandhi is scheduled to conduct a series of student conferences in several cities across the country over the course of a month – starting in Kota (June 17), Allahabad (July 10), Patna (July 11), and concluding in Delhi (July 14). The agreements aim to bring together students, job aspirants, youth organizations, teachers and others affected by the “examination scandals”.
“Reflecting Rahul Gandhi’s conviction that the aspirations of Indian youth should not be sacrificed to corruption, incompetence or political apathy, the movement will seek to unite students beyond political affiliations and provide a platform for aggrieved youth to share their experiences and demand accountability for repeated exam failures and paper leak scandals,” the statement said. The statement also praised Gandhi as “the most consistent and credible advocate for India’s students and youth.”
Among the campaign’s demands are the party’s previous calls for decentralization of NEET, abolition of examination fees, and strict legal action against those involved in paper leakage rackets. The party will also demand Pradhan’s resignation in a bid to bring accountability at the highest levels of government.
Moreover, the Congress will demand a comprehensive debate in Parliament on the “crisis facing India’s youth” and call for legislative measures to protect the “interests, rights and future” of the youth. “Having raised these issues time and again, Rahul Gandhi has made the defense of merit, justice and equal opportunities for our youth a pressing issue of national importance,” the party said.
The campaign will call for student mobilization through the party’s youth and student wings, National Students Union of India (NSUI), Youth Congress, Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs), District Congress Committees (DCCs), and other local units across the country. It will also use physical and digital invitations, campus outreach, interactions at training centres, universities, schools and youth centres, social media campaigns, live performances and direct engagement with students for mobilisation.
