Kathmandu— Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday to address the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' student outreach programme. The event, held at the Bannu School Ground, serves as a key component of a nationwide campaign designed to highlight issues affecting young people and demand government accountability regarding education and employment.

Campaign Objectives and Scope

The 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' initiative is a nationwide effort by the Congress party to focus on critical issues facing the youth, including examination paper leaks, coaching fees, and access to education and employment opportunities. The campaign involves protests, public outreach, and parliamentary discussions, with participation from the Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI).

The Prayagraj stop follows previous legs of the campaign in Rajasthan and Dehradun. In Dehradun, Gandhi interacted with families affected by alleged examination irregularities, including the father of a student who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy.

Allegations of Examination Irregularities

During the campaign, Gandhi has been vocal about systemic failures within the national education system. He alleged that over the last decade, approximately 7.5 crore students have suffered due to paper leaks, claiming that there have been 152 such incidents—averaging one leak per month.

"High technology is being used in India to facilitate exam paper leaks. You can find these papers on the internet, on Telegram or Signal, if you have crores of rupees," Gandhi said. He further claimed that despite the frequency of these leaks, the conviction rate remains at zero, stating that no one has been punished in connection with these cases.

Logistical Challenges and Venue Dispute

The scheduled programme in Prayagraj initially faced uncertainty after the management of Kayasth Pathshala (KP) College withdrew permission for the use of its sports ground. The college cited academic concerns and an Allahabad High Court order emphasizing that students' academic activities should not be disrupted.

However, the cancellation of the booking was ultimately revoked, allowing the public interaction programme to proceed as scheduled.

The Congress party intends to continue the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign through further protests and discussions across the country to keep the spotlight on student opportunities and job security.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.