Rebuild the education system to reduce costs and stress, says Rahul in Kota

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi speaks during the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ rally as part of the Congress party’s campaign on paper leaks and youth issues in Kota, Rajasthan on June 17, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (Jun 17, 2026) called for an overhaul of the country’s education system, saying it was putting pressure on children, stressing students and extorting money from parents. “Gen Z families” were spending three times the Center’s education budget on the top five competitive exams, he said.

Mr Gandhi addressed a student convention at the Dussehra Maidan in Kota, considered the hub of coaching institutes in Rajasthan, in the first leg of his national education campaign to highlight the alleged leak of NEET papers, youth anxiety, exam irregularities and unemployment, demanding accountability.

A large number of youngsters, including NEET and JEE aspirants, participated in the program called ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of the Students) with the slogan ‘Seal the Leaks’. Mr. Gandhi said it was not a political meeting but an opportunity to interact with the youth who are trying to get a future and are facing challenges every day.

“The greatest weakness of the Indian education system is that it does not nurture the dreams of our children. It does not respect the possibilities and aspirations that they really want to pursue,” Gandhi said. While public sector education has declined, private education has become expensive, putting immense burden on parents, he added.

Five students, which included NEET, JEE and civil services aspirants, were invited on stage to interact with Mr. Gandhi. He talked to them about their future plans, their exam preparation strategies and expenses spent on preparation. A couple with their daughter also came on stage to talk about how the family is trying to secure coaching.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the examination system for jobs and professional courses turned out to be a “rejection system” rather than a selection exercise, with a meager number of candidates selected out of several thousand. This places a heavy burden on students and their families, resulting in financial ruin, depression and suicide in extreme cases, Mr. Gandhi said.

Mr. Gandhi referred to the country’s top five competitive exams — UPSC, SSC, RRB, JEE and NEET — and pointed out that they drain the energy of the youth as well as the financial resources of middle-class families. “Our education system is really an extortion machine,” he said.

Mr. Gandhi said the government’s claim of providing employment after education is a lie as out of every 1,000 youth, only 12 get formal and paid jobs, while 297 remain unemployed and 691 get informal and precarious jobs. The system should be such that the youth can dream big and get education at the lowest cost, he said.

Mr. Gandhi will address similar conventions in Allahabad, Patna and Delhi during the campaign. Congress units including NSUI and Youth Congress will actively participate in the campaign.

Published – 17 Jun 2026 21:29 IST