Prayagraj: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said India’s 40 crore young people were its “greatest strength”, but argued that expensive education, limited job opportunities and examination paper leaks were trapping them in a “chakravyuh”.
Speaking at the Congress’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Prayagraj, Gandhi built his address around “dard, data and daulat”, focusing on youth struggles, India’s data resources and economic opportunity.
He claimed only 12 of every 1,000 young Indians secure permanent jobs and said degrees often fail to guarantee employment after families spend lakhs on education.
Gandhi also called data the raw material of the 21st-century economy, arguing that Indians’ data should be treated as a national asset. He criticised excessive social-media consumption, describing endless reels as a “21st-century addiction”.
The event was part of Congress’s nationwide campaign on paper leaks, recruitment irregularities and unemployment.
The BJP criticised Gandhi for holding the programme in Prayagraj instead of visiting protesting JPSC and JSSC aspirants in Congress-allied Jharkhand. BJP leaders Amit Malviya and CR Kesavan questioned his absence from students protesting in Ranchi.
The outreach comes as political parties increasingly focus on Gen Z amid student protests over recruitment and examination issues.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed young people at IIT Delhi’s convocation on Saturday, urging graduates to remain curious and seek solutions to challenges.
