The Congress on Sunday criticised the government over rising education expenses, citing household expenditure data and saying that young people and their parents are seeking immediate measures to address issues of accessibility and affordability.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that while recent protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations were triggered by concerns over an allegedly unfair examination system, the underlying frustration among students and families stemmed from broader financial pressures.
Citing a recent analysis by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) based on household expenditure data from 2014-15 to 2025-26, Ramesh said education costs had increased significantly faster than household incomes. He added that families were now spending a larger share of their earnings on education.
Ramesh highlighted the growing role of private tuition in household education expenses, saying school and college fees had consistently risen over the past decade at a pace higher than income growth.
He also pointed to increasing expenditure on books, which he said could be linked to higher textbook prices, competitive examination preparation and spending on additional learning resources.
"The protests in recent weeks have had immediate causes linked to an unfair examination system, but the distress and anger of students and parents have deeper roots in the challenges of access and affordability," Ramesh said.
He added that young people and their families were "crying out for remedial action now".
His remarks came amid continued political debate over the examination system and education policies, following criticism over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
(With inputs from PTI)