Rahul Gandhi Calls India’s Education System a ‘Rejection System

Kota: “Why is every youth in the country chasing only four or five fixed career options? Is life limited to the norms established by society?” When Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, posed this question in Kota, the country’s largest coaching hub, a stunned silence descended on the more than 5,000 students present. The occasion was the “Schools’ Echo,” where Rahul Gandhi offered startling advice to young people to break away from the blind pursuit of traditional careers—engineers, doctors, lawyers, IAS officers, or the armed forces. But the question arises: why, while fighting for employment and exams in the country, would Rahul Gandhi suddenly advise young people to change this path? Rahul Gandhi himself explained the mathematics and pain behind this with statistics.

Rahul said, “This is not a selection system, but a rejection system.”
Rahul Gandhi stated unequivocally that what we call the country’s “education system” is not designed to select young people, but to show them the way out. He said, “The Indian education system has become a ‘rejection system.’ It is a machine that crushes the dreams of youth and only breeds stress, depression, and tragedy in society.” Despite millions of seats remaining unfilled, millions of young people are pushed into this endless race, only to end up with disappointment.

The amount of money families across the country spend on NEET preparation alone is equivalent to the entire education budget of the Indian government. Today, from Kota, and from every corner of the country, millions of young people are saying in unison: This system has done us injustice.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition

The ‘recovery mechanism’ weighing heavily on families’ pockets
Exposing the economic game behind this blind race, Rahul Gandhi presented a statistic that shocked everyone. He explained the toll this rat race takes on the country’s middle-class and poor families.

The burden of NEET alone: ​​Approximately 2.2 million students take the NEET exam every year. Their families spend approximately ₹1.32 lakh crore annually on coaching, hostels, and books, which is equivalent to the entire education budget of the Government of India.

Waste of ₹3.5 lakh crore: If UPSC, SSC, Railways, and JEE are also included, families across the country are spending ₹3.5 lakh crore annually on these preparations. This amount is equivalent to the total budget of the five major ministries of the country.

Rahul said that money and blind competition together are pushing the youth onto a path where the student is at risk, and in the end, the system tells them that the doors are closed.

Rahul Gandhi spoke one-on-one with students
When Rahul Gandhi spoke one-on-one with students on stage, a NEET aspirant shared that she had been passionate about dance since childhood, but due to pressure from family and society, she is preparing to become a doctor. Rahul Gandhi, highlighting this, said that we are not giving our children the freedom to dream according to their talent. As a result, today every student in Kota is more afraid of their paper being leaked than their rank, and this mental stress forces them to take self-defeating measures like suicide.

A Call to Awaken for Rights
Rahul Gandhi urged the youth to abandon this blind race and recognize their true potential. The world is vast, and there are thousands of career paths open. Encouraging the youth, he said, “If the system is making your dreams a burden, then this system must change. Wake up for your rights, question it, and break free from the herd mentality.” The Congress is now preparing to transform this “Kota Model” into a nationwide student movement.