Entire education system involved in paper leaks, but no punishment: Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that India's entire education system has become complicit in examination paper leaks, claiming that 7.5 crore students have suffered as a result while not a single guilty person has been punished.

Addressing the second 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (voice of students) rally in Uttarakhand's Dehradun, Gandhi said the country's examination system had become deeply compromised by corruption and political interference, and called for a complete overhaul to restore students' faith.

"Cases of paper leaks are rising day by day because of the corrupt system, but till now not a single guilty person has been convicted," he alleged, claiming that 152 paper leak cases had been reported so far.

The Congress leader alleged that just "1 per cent" of students with money and political connections were exploiting the system at the expense of the remaining "99 per cent" of honest and poor aspirants.

"It is very simple. High technology is being used for paper leaks. If you have crores, you can select which paper you want from a menu card. This is the state of India's education system in which paper leaks are rising," he said.

Gandhi also claimed that millions of students spend nearly five years preparing for competitive examinations, with families spending around Rs 9 lakh — often by exhausting their savings or taking loans — in the hope of securing government jobs.

"Why do millions of youth in India have to walk this path? The answer is because all other doors in front of them have been closed, and only the door to government jobs remains open," he said.

Maintaining that the country's examination framework required a complete redesign, Gandhi outlined what he described as a blueprint for a 21st-century examination system.

He called for flexible examination schedules, secure question banks and randomised question papers to make leaks more difficult. He also demanded independent and accountable educational institutions free from political influence, saying universities and testing bodies should not be controlled by any political organisation.

"The vice-chancellor should not be from one organisation. The in-charge of the National Testing Agency (NTA) should not be from a political outfit," he said.

Gandhi also opposed what he described as the privatisation of education, demanded strict punishment for those involved in paper leaks, and called for immediate re-examinations and fair compensation for students affected by cancelled or compromised tests.

He said the event was not a political rally but a platform to amplify students' concerns. "This is not a political meet. It is about the youth, their future, struggles and difficulties," he said.

The Dehradun event was the second in the Congress' 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign after the inaugural rally in Kota, Rajasthan, on 17 June. Gandhi is expected to address similar student gatherings in other parts of the country in the coming weeks.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi visited the family of Congress worker Amar Mehta (65), who died in a freak accident on Thursday after being struck by an iron rod that fell from a tent being erected at the Bannu School grounds, where preparations for the students' rally were under way. He offered condolences to the bereaved family before proceeding to the event venue.

With PTI inputs