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At a student gathering in Indore, Rahul Gandhi raised concerns over education, unemployment and institutional functioning.
INDORE: Months after students gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday raised concerns over the challenges confronting students and job aspirants at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore.
The event, attended by a large gathering of students and job aspirants, focused on allegations of examination cancellations, question-paper leaks, unemployment and shortcomings in the education system. The gathering was described by organisers as drawing around 30,000 people.
Addressing the students, Gandhi said the youth were the foundation of the country and that no nation could become great without empowering its students.
“Students are the future of India. Without them, no country can become great,” Gandhi said, stressing that students possess qualities such as curiosity, compassion, humanity, tolerance and honesty that are essential for nation-building.
He said students’ willingness to question authority and seek answers was important for strengthening democratic institutions. Gandhi argued that society and the government had a responsibility to listen to the concerns of young people rather than subject them to further hardship.
The Congress leader alleged that institutions and systems created for the benefit of students were increasingly becoming sources of harassment and difficulties. He also highlighted the lack of higher-education opportunities in rural areas, saying students from villages are often forced to travel to Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities in search of better educational facilities.
Gandhi alleged that corruption had become a serious concern in the education sector and attributed what he described as systemic failures to the policies and functioning of the Central government. He also raised questions over the functioning of institutions and alleged that disproportionate influence was exercised by a small group of powerful individuals over key systems, including social media and other institutions. He made allegations related to phone tapping and the sharing of data with senior government leaders.
Taking a reference from Indian cricket, Gandhi invoked the names of legendary players Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev while questioning the prominence of Jay Shah, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in cricket administration. He argued that the system should place greater emphasis on merit rather than family or political influence.
Gandhi further alleged that institutions become threatened when students begin asking questions about the functioning of the system. He questioned why, according to him, certain individuals are given important positions and why major businesses and economic opportunities are allegedly concentrated among a small number of large corporate groups.
Targeting what he described as a culture of unquestioning support for the government, Gandhi said the system did not want students who challenged authority. He used the term “Andhbhakts” while arguing that propaganda was being used to divert public attention from issues such as corruption, governance and unemployment.
‘Students lack basic facilities’
Highlighting issues faced by students in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi alleged that several hostels lacked basic facilities such as adequate bathrooms, while educational institutions continued to face shortages of libraries and other essential infrastructure.
He further alleged that students who raise questions about such shortcomings can face harassment or arrest.
Questioning the quality of India’s education system, Gandhi said political leaders frequently speak about improving education while their own children often study abroad. He argued that this reflected the shortcomings in India’s education infrastructure.
“Students are the foundation of the country. They are the ones who build the system and make the country strong,” he said.
Gandhi also alleged that Modi government’s approach towards public education had moved in the opposite direction from the vision behind institutions such as the IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. He claimed that education budgets had declined, teacher recruitment had fallen and government schools had deteriorated. He questioned why land could be made available to businesses at nominal rates while affordable education could not receive similar support from the government.
The Congress leader also criticised what he described as excessive privatisation of education. He claimed that more than one lakh government schools had been shut and alleged that Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh had witnessed significant school closures. He also raised concerns about hostel availability, claiming that only around 14 out of every 100 students have access to hostel accommodation.
Gandhi linked these issues to what he described as corruption and systemic failures in the education sector.
“We want an India of students, not an India of Andhbhakts. Students are the future of India,” he said.
In his nearly 30-minute address, Gandhi also focused on unemployment and the returns from higher education. He said families spend their hard-earned money on degrees such as BA and MA ,but many graduates still struggle to find stable employment. He claimed that only around 12 out of every 1,000 youngsters secure permanent jobs, while arguing that India’s young population represents a far greater potential than the country’s present economic and educational systems are able to harness.
Drawing comparisons with China, the United States and Russia, Gandhi said these countries are often regarded as major global powers, but argued that the potential of India’s youth was immense and needed to be supported through better education, employment opportunities and stronger institutions. (The reporter was in Indore to cover the event at the invitation of the Congress).