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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             JUNE 26, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    6

             Congress Seeks to Turn NEET Crisis

                 into Youth Mobilisation Campaign

             With the NEET paper leak controversy continuing to resonate, the Congress is framing the examination

                   crisis as evidence of a broader failure in India’s education system to connect with young voters.

            OUR BUREAU
            New Delhi
                  he Congress has stepped up
                  its campaign over the National
            TEligibility-cum-Entrance Test
            (NEET),  attempting  to  transform
            student anger over examination irreg-
            ularities into a wider political move-
            ment ahead of key electoral battles.
            By focusing on the financial and emo-
            tional burden borne by students and
            their families, the party is positioning
            itself as the principal political voice of
            India’s youth while seeking to put the
            Centre on the defensive over the coun-
            try’s competitive examination system.
                The latest push came after Lead-
            er of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s
            interaction with  students  in  Kota,
            Rajasthan, one of India’s largest
            coaching hubs. Through his out-                   AICC Meeting with senior Congress leaders of various states at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi (ANI)
            reach programme, titled “Echo of
            Students”, Gandhi argued that the   remarks and expanding the criticism   graphic groups. Young voters and first-  The Congress’ communication
            distress experienced by lakhs of stu-  to include the government’s broader   time voters are expected to play an   strategy also illustrates how education
            dents is not an isolated problem but   economic priorities.         increasingly influential role in upcom-  is emerging as a major political issue
            the consequence of systemic failures.  “Just  one  figure  from  @rahul-  ing elections, making issues related to   alongside employment and inflation.
                In a post on X following the pro-  gandhi’s talk at Kota says it all. Money   education, employment and oppor-  By drawing comparisons between
            gramme, Gandhi highlighted what he   extracted by the system from NEET   tunity central to political messaging.  household expenditure on coaching
            described  as  the  enormous  financial   students and their families (22 lakh   Rahul’s decision to visit Kota   and the Union education budget, the
            burden imposed by the examination   students per year) = 1.32 Lakh Crore.   reflects  that  strategy.  Known  as  In-  party is presenting education not only
            ecosystem.                        India’s entire education budget =   dia’s coaching capital, the city attracts   as a governance challenge but also
                “Just think--the amount of mon-  1.40 Lakh Crore,” she posted on X.  thousands of NEET and engineering   as an economic issue affecting mil-
            ey families across the country spend   She then linked the issue to the   aspirants every year and has become   lions of middle-class and lower-mid-
            just on NEET preparation is equal   Congress’ larger economic narrative.  synonymous with the intense pressures   dle-class households.
            to the entire education budget of the   “I have only one thing to add to   associated with competitive examinations.  Whether this campaign trans-
            Government of India,” he wrote.   it. Loans forfeited by the Government   Equally important is the emo-  lates into electoral gains remains to
                The comparison has become the   of India to its favourite businessmen:   tional dimension of the Congress   be seen. However, by centring its nar-
            centrepiece of the Congress cam-  16 Lakh crores,” she said.        campaign. By repeatedly referring to   rative on students’ aspirations, family
            paign. According to the party, nearly   By combining concerns over ed-  the  sacrifices  made  by  families,  the   expenditure and examination integ-
            22 lakh students appear for the med-  ucation with allegations of economic   party is attempting to connect with   rity, the Congress is attempting to
            ical entrance examination every year,   inequality, the Congress is attempting   parents as well as students.  occupy  political  space  among  young
            generating expenditure of approxi-  to broaden the political appeal of the   The emphasis on “money ex-  voters at a time when concerns over
            mately Rs 1.32 lakh crore by students   NEET issue beyond students prepar-  tracted by the system” seeks to por-  competitive examinations continue to
            and their families on preparation,   ing for medical entrance examina-  tray examination preparation as an   dominate public debate.
            coaching and related costs. The par-  tions. The party’s messaging suggests   increasingly expensive and uncertain   With the NEET re-examination
            ty contrasted that figure with India’s   that the crisis is not merely about a   investment, particularly after the can-  scheduled for June 21, the issue is like-
            national education budget of Rs 1.40   paper leak or examination manage-  cellation of the NEET examination   ly to remain in the national spotlight.
            lakh crore, arguing that the scale of   ment but about what it describes as   due to the paper leak. For families   The Congress appears determined to
            private spending reflects the pressures   misplaced policy priorities.  that  devote  significant  financial  re-  ensure that the conversation extends
            placed on aspiring medical students.  For the Congress, the episode   sources to coaching and preparation,   beyond the conduct of a single exam-
                Congress General Secretary Pri-  provides an  opportunity to engage   repeated disruptions have become a   ination to larger questions about ed-
            yanka  Gandhi  Vadra  amplified  the   directly with one of India’s largest   source of both economic and psycho-  ucational opportunity, accountability
            message by quoting Rahul Gandhi’s   and most politically significant demo-  logical stress.           and the future of India’s youth.

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