India's education system puts pressure on children, crushes them: Rahul Gandhi in Kota

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said India's education system puts pressure on children, stresses them and crushes them, as he launched the party's nationwide student outreach campaign from Kota.

Addressing the "Chhatron ki Goonj" Maha Rally, Gandhi said students across the country were struggling under immense pressure and deserved a better future.

"This is not good for the country. I want all of us to work together to ensure that no student in this country ever feels what this girl felt," he said.

In his opening remarks, Gandhi stressed that the event was focused on students and their concerns.

"This is not a political meeting. This is a meeting about you, about the young people who are struggling to get a future. This evening is about you, the challenges that you are dealing with every single day," he said.

Following his remarks, five students — three girls and two boys — joined Gandhi on stage for an interaction. The students were aspirants preparing for NEET, JEE and the civil services examination.

The programme is being projected by the Congress as the first in a series of nationwide student conventions. The BJP, however, has objected to the outreach initiative, alleging that it could distract aspirants preparing for examinations.

A large number of students preparing for NEET, JEE and other competitive examinations attended the programme.

Kota is one of the country's biggest coaching hubs, with nearly 1.2 lakh students preparing for NEET and JEE in coaching institutes across the city.

During the interaction, Gandhi spoke to students about their future plans, reasons for preparing for competitive examinations, personal aspirations and the financial burden of coaching and exam preparation.

According to a Congress release, Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will lead a national education campaign aimed at highlighting the concerns of students, seeking accountability over examination irregularities and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The campaign will travel across the country through programmes organised by Congress units, including the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Indian Youth Congress.

As part of the initiative, Gandhi is scheduled to address student conventions in Allahabad, Patna and Delhi in the coming weeks.