NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday announced a nationwide outreach campaign targeting students and young job aspirants, with a series of conventions focused on paper leaks, examination reforms, unemployment and accountability for recurring irregularities in recruitment and entrance tests.
The campaign, to be led by Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, will begin with a student convention in Kota on June 17 and continue in Prayagraj on July 10, Patna on July 11 and Delhi on July 14.
Launching the first phase of the initiative, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the programme aims to highlight concerns over paper leaks, examination scandals, rising costs of competitive tests and what the party described as the Centre’s failure to protect the interests of students and job seekers.
In a statement, Venugopal said the campaign would bring together students, competitive examination aspirants, youth organisations and educators affected by examination-related controversies. He alleged that repeated paper leaks, increasing examination fees and the absence of a transparent recruitment and education system were undermining the future prospects of millions of young Indians.
The outreach will also seek to build support for a set of reforms previously advocated by Mr. Gandhi, including the decentralisation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), the abolition of examination fees, strict action against those involved in paper leak rackets and greater accountability within the government for examination-related failures.
Reiterating the party’s demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Congress said accountability must be fixed for repeated controversies surrounding examinations and recruitment processes.
“The Congress Party will seek a comprehensive discussion in Parliament on the crisis confronting India’s youth and push for legislative measures to safeguard their interests, rights and future,” Venugopal said.
The party plans to mobilise students through the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the Indian Youth Congress and its state and district units. The campaign will include campus visits, interactions at coaching centres, schools and universities, social media outreach, live screenings and direct engagement with students across the country.
According to the Congress, the movement aims to bring together students beyond political affiliations and provide a platform for those affected by examination irregularities to share their experiences and demand corrective action.
The party said Rahul Gandhi has consistently raised concerns over paper leaks, recruitment delays and unemployment, making issues of merit, fairness and equal opportunity central to his engagement with India’s youth.