Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a nationwide campaign, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', to amplify students' concerns over issues such as paper leaks, examination irregularities, high education costs and unemployment, urging young people to join the movement and directly voice their demands to the government.
In a post on X, Rahul shared a link to the campaign, inviting students to sign a petition and contribute their ideas.
"If you've suffered because of paper leaks, exam issues, or high fees, if this education system has shattered your dreams, if your family has invested a lifetime of savings in your education, then 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' is your voice," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Rahul said the initiative was more than a campaign and would serve as a platform for students to raise issues such as affordable education, fair examinations and dignified employment opportunities.
"Join the movement: Click the link below. Fill in your name and share your ideas. Sign the petition -- that's it," Rahul said. "More the signatures, louder the goonj!"
The launch comes a day after Rahul addressed the "Chhatron ki Goonj" Maha Rally in Rajasthan's Kota, one of the country's largest coaching hubs, where he interacted with students on issues ranging from paper leaks to unemployment and outlined his critique of the existing education system.
Addressing the gathering, Rahul described India's education system as a "rejection system" rather than a selection system and alleged that it places excessive financial and emotional burdens on students and middle-class families.
"India's education system is an extortion machine. We want a system that allows you to dream big," he said, adding that young people in the country are being subjected to too much pain, stress and unhappiness.
According to Rahul, the present system pushes students towards a limited set of career paths and extracts huge sums of money from families through schooling, coaching and competitive examinations, despite offering no guarantee of success.
"This is not a political meeting. This is a meeting about you, about the young people who are struggling to get a future. This evening is about you, the challenges that you are dealing with every single day," he said in his opening remarks at the Kota rally.
Rahul claimed that competitive examinations such as SSC, UPSC, RRB, JEE and NEET have become the primary routes to success for students, while alternative aspirations receive little support. He alleged that families collectively spend enormous amounts preparing for these examinations, even as only a small fraction of candidates ultimately secure admission or jobs.
"For NEET alone, around 22 lakh students appear, but less than one lakh get selected. These are extremely difficult odds," he said.
Calling the current structure "extremely stressful and unfair", Rahul said the education system puts pressure on children, causes anxiety and limits opportunities.
"This is not good for the country. I want all of us to work together to ensure that no student in this country ever feels what this girl felt," he said.
He also called for structural reforms that would expand opportunities for young people and help them pursue their aspirations without imposing crippling financial costs on families.
"We have to change this system. The education system we want should allow every single Indian to dream big.
"The second role of the education system is to help you achieve that dream. Whatever your dream is, the job of India's education system should be to help you fulfil it," he said.
The Congress said the campaign will travel across the country with support from its student and youth wings, including the NSUI and Youth Congress. According to a party release, Rahul will address similar student conventions in Allahabad, Patna and Delhi as part of the outreach programme, which seeks to highlight students' concerns and push for accountability in the education sector.