YOUTH

Jobs

“The future lies in the youth of today” is particularly relevant for a young nation like India with a median age of just 28 years. The youth of India face joblessness as well as hopelessness. The root cause is massive unemployment that has got worse every year under the BJP/NDA government. Congress will tackle this issue on a war footing with a clear Yuva Nyay programme.

1. Congress guarantees a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will get ₹ 1 lakh a year. The apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability and provide full-time job opportunities for millions of youth.
2. We will provide fast-track courts to adjudicate cases of leaking question papers for job examinations and provide monetary compensation to the victims.
3. We will fill the nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government. We will stipulate that vacancies in the panchayats and municipal bodies shall be filled according to a timetable agreed with state governments.
4. Congress will restructure the Fund of Funds Scheme for start-ups and allocate 50 per cent of the available fund, as far as possible equally among all districts, for providing funds to youth below 40 years of age to start their own businesses and generate employment.
5. Government will give a one-time relief to applicants who were unable to write the qualifying public examinations during 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2021 due to the pandemic.
6. We will abolish application fees for government examinations and government posts.
7. Due to widespread unemployment, as a one-time measure of relief, the amount due including unpaid interest as on 15 March 2024 in respect of all student educational loans will be written off and the banks will be compensated by the government.
8. Congress will provide sports scholarships of ₹ 10,000 per month for talented and budding sportspersons below the age of 21.

EDUCATION

Education is a public good and every student has the right to free, quality education provided by the state. Schools, colleges and universities should be predominantly public institutions funded by public resources. We recognise that private educational institutions play an important supplementary role.

1. Congress brought in the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2009 that transformed education for children between the ages of 6 and 14. We will amend the RTE Act to make education from Class I to Class XII in public schools compulsory and free.
2. The New Education Policy (NEP) announced by the BJP/NDA government has been opposed by educationists and several state governments. Education is a concurrent subject and the rights of states to formulate an education policy must be respected. Hence, we will revisit and amend the NEP in consultation with the state governments.
3. We will end the practice of charging special fees for different purposes in public schools.
4. For greater equity, affordability and transparency in school fees charged by private schools, we will encourage state governments to establish fee regulation committees.
5. The quality of teaching is the most important determinant of educational outcomes. Congress will work with states to ensure that every class and every subject has a dedicated teacher. Each class must have a dedicated classroom.
6. Foundational learning emphasising literacy, numeracy, foundational science and Constitutional values in schools is an important requirement for all children. Congress will expand the budget for and scale up government programmes for foundational learning.
7. School and college syllabuses will emphasise the study of STEM subjects in order to develop a scientific temper.
8. We will discourage the use of teachers for non-teaching activities.
9. We will discourage the appointment of contractual teachers in regular vacancies and ensure that such appointments are regularised.
10. We will accelerate the integration of pre-primary and primary education to ensure that all children receive at least two years of pre-school education.
11. Annual surveys have revealed the huge gaps in learning outcomes in school education. We shall take urgent measures to address these deficiencies and ensure wholesome learning outcomes within a period of 5 years.
12. Congress will increase the number of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodya Vidyalayas and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in consultation with the State Governments.
13. We will restore the autonomy of colleges and universities. Higher educational institutions will have academic freedom and will be encouraged to experiment, innovate and promote research. We will protect and preserve students’ freedom of speech and expression and the right to have elected student unions.
14. To reduce dropout rates, we will ensure that pre-matric and higher education scholarships for disadvantaged groups including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, denotified tribes and minorities are restored, increased and fully funded.
15. We will ensure that all central textbooks promote a scientific temper and are aligned with India’s constitutional values as contained in the Preamble and other provisions of the Constitution of India. Textbook revisions will not be done arbitrarily or driven by political motives.
16. We will assist state governments to establish one Government Community College in every tehsil/taluk for students completing Class XII. These community colleges will offer a broad range of degrees/diplomas suitable for jobs in the service industry (e.g. hospitality, tourism, digital marketing, paramedical, paralegal, etc.) and for jobs in the manufacturing industry that require basic technical skills.
17. Congress will revive the Education Loan programme to college students implemented under the UPA government and instruct banks to extend collateral-free education loans up to ₹7.5 lakhs especially to students belonging to the SC, ST, OBC, EWS and minorities.
18. Due to widespread unemployment, as a one-time measure of relief, the amount due including unpaid interest as on 15 March 2024 in respect of all student educational loans will be written off and the banks will be compensated by the government.
19. Congress will ensure that serving teachers are represented in the governing bodies of colleges and universities.
20. We will fill all teaching and non-teaching vacancies in central universities and other central educational institutions.
21. National accreditation bodies will be strengthened and higher educational institutions will be accredited based on stringent quality norms.
22. Online courses and digital learning have gained importance. We will ensure that all students of classes IX to XII have mobile phones to ensure equitable access to learning. We will provide free and unlimited Internet on college and school campuses to increase accessibility and connectivity.
23. We will ensure that all coaching centres and EdTech companies meet stringent quality standards.
24. We will ensure that all higher educational institutions — central, state and private — meet the prescribed standards for admitting students. We will revisit the policy of centrally-conducted qualifying examinations such as NEET, CUET, etc. and make it optional for state governments to adopt these examinations for admissions or conduct their own examinations meeting the prescribed standards to state-funded and state-approved higher educational institutions.
25. We will assist state governments to establish state-of-the-art Internet-enabled public libraries in state, district and taluk headquarters.

SPORTS

No government in India’s independent history has politicised sports as much as the present BJP/NDA government. From scheduling World Cup games in select venues for overt political purposes to turning a blind eye to harassment of India’s Olympians by politically-aligned persons in sports bodies, Indian sports is arguably going through its worst phase. Congress believes that Indian sport will soar only when the autonomy of sports bodies is restored, political bias is removed, and the government is a strong and neutral supporting force for sports development.

1. Congress will take suitable measures to ensure that the constitution of each sports body is in accordance with certain norms and principles, that elections are held according to the constitution of that body and the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee, and that there is adequate representation in each sports body for active players, former players and women.
2. Congress will enact a separate legislation for the registration of sports federations/bodies/associations which will ensure full compliance with the Olympic Charter, allow for autonomy and full accountability, and provide recourse for members and sportspersons against discrimination, bias, sexual harassment, abuse, wrongful termination, etc.
3. Congress will provide sports scholarships of ₹10,000 per month to talented and budding sports persons below the age of 21.
4. Congress will ensure that there is at least one community sports centre in every block and municipal town and at least one multi-sport coaching centre in every district.
5. We will establish a National Sports Science Institute to promote research and development in sports sciences and training.
6. In order to encourage talented youth to pursue sports as a profession without fear of their future, Congress will introduce a “Sporting Heroes Job Guarantee” programme to assure every sportsperson who has represented India at the international level or the national level a good quality job after the end of the sportsperson’s sporting career.
7. We will allocate sufficient funds to promote sports among girls and women, persons with disabilities, and disadvantaged groups such as ST.