Launching a sharp critique against the structure of India’s competitive examination landscape, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described the current mechanism as a “rejection system” rather than a selection system. Addressing thousands of job aspirants and coaching students at the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” (Echo of Students) mega rally in Rajasthan’s Kota on Wednesday, the Congress leader argued that the intense pressure built into the educational framework is systematically crushing the individual dreams and mental well-being of the nation’s youth.
Gandhi used the platform—the first stop in a planned series of nationwide student conventions—to highlight the astronomical financial exploitation of middle-class families. Citing
detailed expenditure estimates, he stated that families of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants collectively spend an estimated Rs 1.32 lakh crore annually on commercial coaching, accommodation, and institutional fees. This figure, Gandhi pointed out, is nearly equivalent to the union government’s entire formal allocation for education.
“Our current education system pressures, stresses, suppresses, and crushes its children. It does not nurture individual dreams or respect the diverse professional paths that young minds actually want to pursue,” he said.
‘Extortion Machine Built on Systemic Vulnerabilities’
Expanding his critique to include five premier examinations—the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), and NEET—Gandhi alleged that total private student spending reaches a staggering Rs 3.5 lakh crore annually, or the equivalent of the combined budgets allocated by the Centre to the five ministries dealing with women and child development, labour, education, health and science. He termed the hyper-commercialised coaching ecosystem an “extortion machine” that yields minimum assurances of actual employment, especially given the continuous shadow of delayed recruitment and examination paper leaks.
The convention, held at the Shri Ram Rangmanch in Kota’s Dussehra Ground, deliberately positioned students on centre stage. Gandhi invited five aspirants preparing for medical, engineering, and civil services tests to share their direct experiences regarding rising fees and structural anxiety. Reflecting on conversations from his cross-country foot march, Gandhi expressed concern over the severe lack of vocational diversity, noting that out of lakhs of youths, almost all felt constrained to name only five acceptable career paths: doctor, engineer, lawyer, civil servant, or soldier.
Political Battle Escalates Ahead of Crucial Re-Examinations
The high-octane rally took place just days before the scheduled NEET-UG re-examination on June 21 (after the original May 3 test was officially cancelled following a massive nationwide question paper leak scandal), intensifying a fierce political battle between the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the local administration of systematically removing promotional hoardings for the event under political duress, the BJP countered by characterising the rally as a politically sponsored disruption designed to misdirect students immediately prior to their crucial examinations.
Asserting that the gathering remained strictly focused on student welfare rather than partisan arithmetic, Gandhi demanded absolute administrative accountability and a complete overhaul of the examination security protocols overseen by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Following the Kota launch, the Congress party’s nationwide campaign is scheduled to mobilise subsequent youth conventions in Allahabad, Patna, and New Delhi over the coming weeks.
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