3 weeks ago

Rahul Gandhi backs Jharkhand students, says every government must listen

Rahul Gandhi backs Jharkhand students, says every government must listen
Watch: Rahul Gandhi opens up on Jharkhand student protest for first time, says 'every govt must...' · wionews.com

Students in a state called Jharkhand are very upset.

They say the exams the government uses to give out jobs were not fair.

So they are sitting at a big stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand's main city, asking for the exams to be cancelled.

They also want a neutral team, like the police from outside the state or retired judges, to investigate what went wrong.

A man named Devendra Nath Mahto has stopped eating food for five days to show how serious this is, and other students have joined him.

India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi says the students are right to be angry.

He says the education system in India has collapsed, costs too much, and treats students badly.

His party, the Congress, says it supports students everywhere, even though the party is part of the very government these students are protesting against.

Jharkhand's Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, says investigators are already working and his doors are always open to students.

Some BJP politicians say the Congress only speaks up for students when it suits them.

Key facts

Protest start date
July 25, under the banner of the JPSC JSSC Reforms Manch
Protest location
Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, Ranchi, Jharkhand
Protest day on August 6
13th day of the agitation
Key demands
Cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination; independent probe by CBI or a panel of retired High Court judges from outside the state
Hunger strike
Six demonstrators on hunger strike, including Devendra Nath Mahto (fasting five days, with dropping blood sugar and blood pressure) and two women
Congress role
Congress is part of the JMM-led ruling coalition in Jharkhand; AICC in-charge K Raju handed a memorandum to Chief Minister Hemant Soren
Chief Minister's response
Hemant Soren said probe agencies are working round the clock, the guilty are being jailed, doors remain open and a concrete solution will be announced soon
Gandhi's remark
'Our education system has collapsed; it is unaffordable and oppressive.'

Quotes

Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president

“"Student protests in the country are happening against the education system. I have clearly said in Dehradun and Kota, and I am going to say in Allahabad as well that our education system has collapsed. It is expensive and oppressive. Every government must listen to students and take action to change the education system, whether it is a Congress government, the central government, or the Jharkhand government."”
livemint.com wionews.com
“Our objective is not just to investigate but to provide a permanent solution to students' concerns. The state government's doors remain open for them to present their demands and suggestions. I assure that every point will be examined carefully and a concrete solution announced soon.”
livemint.com

Sources

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