New Delhi, 22 July (H.S.):

The Congress has announced a nationwide expansion of its ‘Students’ Voice’ campaign, focusing on issues such as paper leaks, delays in examinations, uncertainty in recruitment processes, rising education costs and unemployment.

As part of the campaign, special ‘Student Dialogue’ programmes will be organised on Thursday, July 23, across colleges, universities, coaching institutes, hostels and other educational campuses throughout the country. Congress leaders will directly interact with students, listen to their concerns and explain the objectives of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Students’ Voice’ initiative. Discussions will focus on alleged examination irregularities, recruitment challenges, paper leaks and unemployment-related issues.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal said in a statement on Wednesday that students across the country are facing serious challenges related to education and employment. He said the party has been continuously raising these concerns and will now take the campaign directly to students.

Venugopal said Rahul Gandhi launched the ‘Students’ Voice’ campaign from Kota in Rajasthan on June 17, which was further taken forward in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on July 17. The objective of the campaign, he said, is to free the education system from alleged corruption, exploitation and mismanagement while ensuring that students’ concerns become part of the national discourse.

He alleged that on July 21, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders held a peaceful demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi against the police action on protesting students. He claimed that police used force against leaders and party workers during the protest.

The Congress has instructed its leaders and office-bearers to immediately coordinate with designated city coordinators and reach the assigned locations to engage with students. According to the party’s directions, press conferences will also be organised during the programmes, a video of Rahul Gandhi’s Kota address will be screened, and detailed discussions will be held on paper leaks, examination systems, recruitment procedures and unemployment.

The party has asked its leaders to inform students about the objectives, activities and key demands of the ‘Students’ Voice’ campaign and encourage them to register on the campaign’s website for active participation.

The Congress said the dialogue should not be a one-way interaction but a participatory platform where students can openly share their experiences, concerns, suggestions and aspirations.

The statement added that building nationwide public pressure is necessary to ensure accountability on issues affecting the future of students and young people, restore credibility in the education system and highlight employment-related concerns.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar