New Delhi, June 17: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government over repeated paper leaks and examination irregularities, alleging that India’s education system “suppresses” and “butchers” students and said that India’s education system is a rejection system and not a selection system.
Addressing the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ students convention in Rajasthan’s Kota, Rahul Gandhi questioned the Centre’s failure to curb examination-related irregularities and criticised the country’s education system for placing excessive and unjust pressure on students.
“The Indian education system is a rejection system. It is not a selection system,” he said, linking the remark to controversies such as the NEET-UG paper leak and concerns surrounding the CBSE evaluation process.
He also highlighted that one of 3,000 students clear UPSC exams and 30 out of 3,000 clear IIT exams while 180 out of 3,000 students clear NEET examinations.
He also asserted that the Indian education system is an extortion machine.
He also argued that the existing system subjects students to stress and unnecessary pressure, which, he said, is detrimental to both young people and the country’s future.
He also cited the example of a young girl, who had committed suicide due to paper leaks and said that we need to create a system that no one feels unnecessary pressure and we need to correct that.
Ahead of his address, the Leader of Opposition told the gathering that the event was not political in nature.
“This is about discussing India’s education system, what is wrong with it, and what needs to be corrected,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the government, the Gandhi scion pointed out that about 22 lakh NEET aspirants spend RS 1.32 lakh crore on preparations, coaching, and hostel fees and on the other hand the government’s total education budget is RS 1.4 lakh crore.
“This figure is an insult to this country, this is a crime,” he said.
He also said that the Gen Z families spend RS 3.5 lakh crore for the top five exams — UPSC, JEE, NEET and others.
During the interaction programme, the Congress leader also interacted with some students as well as their parents.
During his interaction, the parents and students stated that how the students feel stress due to the paper leaks.
The parents also stressed that how they have to take debt to make payment for the education of their children.
