Rahul Gandhi Kota Youth Campaign Paper Leaks Exam Issues

The Congress party on Saturday announced that party leader Rahul Gandhi will launch a nationwide campaign against “the growing crisis of paper leaks, examination irregularities, unemployment and the systematic betrayal of India’s youth by the Modi Government” from Kota on June 17.

In a statement, Congress General Secretary (Organisation), K C Venugopal, said that “Rahul Gandhi, who has emerged as the most consistent and credible advocate for India’s students and youth, will conduct a series of large student conventions starting with Kota (June 17), Allahabad (July 10), Patna (July 10) and Delhi (July 14), bringing together students, aspirants, youth organisations, educators and all those directly affected by examination scandals.” The four conventions will be part of the first phase, Venugopal said.

Through the campaign, the Congress party aims to highlight what it said are the hardships faced by millions of young Indians whose futures are being repeatedly jeopardised by paper leaks, rising examination costs and the government’s failure to ensure a fair and transparent recruitment and education system.

The campaign will be complemented through extensive outreach by NSUI, Youth Congress, PCCs, DCCs and local units across the country. Physical and digital invitations, campus outreach, interactions at coaching centres, universities, schools and youth hubs, social media campaigns, live screenings and direct engagement with students will also be undertaken on a “massive scale.”

“Reflecting Shri Rahul Gandhi’s conviction that the aspirations of young Indians must not be sacrificed to corruption, incompetence or political indifference, the movement will seek to unite students beyond political affiliations and provide a platform for affected youth to share their experiences and demand accountability for repeated examination failures and paper leak scandals,” Venugopal said.

“The movement will take to the streets the demands earlier articulated by Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi, including decentralisation of NEET, abolition of examination fees, strict legal action against those involved in paper leak rackets and accountability at the highest levels of government, including seeking the resignation of the Union Education Minister,” he said.

Kota assumes significance as a coaching hub which sees lakhs of students arriving each year for various competitive examinations, including for JEE and NEET. Recently, the discovery of a leak in the NEET examination in Sikar, another coaching hub in Rajasthan, had put the spotlight on the state. The leak in the NEET examination, now scheduled for June 21, had affected over 22 lakh students and their families.

Rahul Gandhi had interacted with students in Kota in December 2022 too during his Rajasthan leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. This will also be Gandhi’s second visit to Rajasthan this month. Earlier, on June 1, he had arrived in Ajmer as part of the party’s training camp.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that “Students from across the country will be mobilised for this movement. The fight for education, opportunity, and the future of the youth continues.”

Hamza Khan is a seasoned Correspondent for The Indian Express, specifically reporting from the diverse and politically dynamic state of Rajasthan. Based in Jaipur, he provides high-authority coverage on the state's governance, legal landscape, and social issues, directly supporting the "Journalism of Courage" ethos of the publication. Expertise Politics & Governance: Comprehensive tracking of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, including policy changes (e.g., the Right to Health Bill and Anti-Mob Lynching Bills), bypoll dynamics, and the shifting power structures between the BJP and Congress. ... Read More