'Education system has collapsed': Rahul backs Ranchi protest on Instagram Q&A

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said every government, including those led by the Congress and its allies, must listen to students and reform the education system, as he extended support to job aspirants protesting in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

Responding to a question on the Ranchi agitation during an 'Ask Me Anything' session on Instagram, Gandhi said the ongoing student protests reflected a deeper crisis in India's education system.

"The student protests happening in the country are against the education system. I have stated it clearly in Kota and Dehradun, and will say it in Allahabad: our education system has collapsed; it is unaffordable and oppressive," Gandhi said.

"Every government, be it the Central government, Jharkhand government or a Congress government, should listen to what students are saying and take action to change the education system," he added.

The Instagram interaction, launched earlier in the day, invited students and Gen Z to ask Gandhi questions on issues ranging from education and employment to governance. His remarks on Jharkhand came after a participant urged him to support the ongoing student movement in Ranchi.

Backing Gandhi's stand, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would stand with students irrespective of whether the government concerned was led by an ally or a political rival.

"Rahul Gandhi and we are with the students, be it in Jharkhand, Punjab, Delhi or anywhere else. We will ask whether we have made a mistake, and why it has happened. We are writing to the government," Kharge said.

Earlier in the day, AICC in-charge for Jharkhand K. Raju said he and state Congress leaders met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and submitted a memorandum outlining the students' demands.

Raju said the Congress welcomed the chief minister's decision to constitute a ministerial committee to hold consultations with the protesters and recommend concrete solutions.

"The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) express total solidarity with students protesting against irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitments. Justice for our students remains our top priority," he said in a post on X.

The protest against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations entered its 13th day on Thursday, with six demonstrators continuing an indefinite hunger strike at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi.

The agitating students and job aspirants have formed an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the Jharkhand government after Chief Minister Hemant Soren said his administration's doors remained open for dialogue.

The protesters have been demanding cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.

In a post on X, Soren said his government was treating the concerns raised by students with the "utmost seriousness" and assured that agencies were working round the clock to identify those responsible for the alleged irregularities.

The Congress, a key ally in the JMM-led government in Jharkhand, has repeatedly expressed support for the student movement, with Raju also visiting the protest site in Ranchi.