By Our Correspondent
Dehradun: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday led a large ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ rally in Dehradun, intensifying the Congress party’s campaign against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and paper leaks. The rally marked the Uttarakhand leg of the nationwide campaign launched earlier from Kota, Rajasthan.
Addressing students and youth, Rahul Gandhi alleged that repeated examination paper leaks had turned into a nationwide crisis, adversely affecting the aspirations of millions of young people seeking government jobs. He claimed that despite numerous reported incidents of question paper leaks across the country, those responsible had largely escaped punishment.
The Congress leader said lakhs of students spend years preparing for competitive examinations, investing considerable time, money and effort, only to see their hopes shattered when examinations are cancelled or compromised. He also highlighted the intense competition for government employment, saying millions of candidates compete annually for a limited number of vacancies.
During the rally, several students who claimed to have been affected by examination cancellations and paper leaks shared their experiences. The father of Ria Thapa, a student who allegedly died by suicide, also addressed the gathering and spoke about the emotional impact of the examination crisis on families.
Rahul Gandhi questioned the Union government’s handling of the issue and demanded greater accountability, asking why repeated paper leaks continued to occur and who was responsible for protecting those allegedly involved. He also renewed his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding the Centre accountable for the recurring incidents.
The Congress leader outlined his party’s vision for reforms in the education and examination system, advocating stronger safeguards against paper leaks, modern testing mechanisms, greater institutional accountability and a student-centric approach to examinations.
The Congress said the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ campaign would continue across the country through its student and youth wings, including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Indian Youth Congress, with programmes planned both on the ground and in Parliament.
Government Response: At the time of filing this report, there was no immediate response from the Union Education Ministry to the allegations made by Rahul Gandhi during the rally.