Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a new student outreach campaign titled “Chhatron Ki Goonj” (Echo of Students) in Kota, where he strongly criticised India’s education system, calling it exploitative and stressful for students.
Addressing a large gathering in Kota, a major coaching hub, Gandhi said the education system has become a barrier rather than a pathway to opportunity. He described it as an “extortion machine” and said young people are being pushed under extreme academic and emotional pressure.
He clarified that the campaign is not political in nature but aimed at understanding the struggles of students. According to him, the initiative is focused on listening to youth facing academic stress, financial burden, and uncertainty about their future.
The campaign highlights several issues, including high coaching fees, exam paper leaks, rising competition, and limited job opportunities despite costly education. It also points to concerns that degrees are no longer guaranteeing employment.
Gandhi cited financial estimates claiming that aspirants spend massive amounts annually on competitive exams like NEET, JEE, UPSC, SSC and RRB, arguing that the burden is comparable to major government budget allocations.
On NEET, he highlighted the intense competition, stating that lakhs of students appear for the exam while only a small fraction secure admission.
During the event, Gandhi also referred to student suicides under academic pressure and displayed a suicide note, urging collective action to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The BJP criticized the campaign, accusing Gandhi of politicising sensitive student issues ahead of the upcoming NEET-UG re-exam, scheduled for June 21. Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned the timing of the event and alleged it was linked to political messaging.
In social media posts, Gandhi mentioned student deaths he attributed to exam stress and described the system as broken, calling for urgent reforms to protect young aspirants.
He also announced that the campaign will expand to Prayagraj on July 10, Patna on July 11, and Delhi on July 14, where further student interactions are planned.
