Cong focus on youth as Rahul promises govt jobs and startup funds

Addressingabharatjodonyay Yatra rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara, where he was accompanied by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul said, “We have counted that there are 30 lakh government vacancies. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji and the BJP don’t fill these up, so after coming to power, our first step would be recruiting the 90 per cent for these 30 lakh government jobs.” He was referring to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and minorities, who he said account for 90 per cent of the population.

“Second, we brought the right to employment (under MGNREGA). Similarly, we are now going to give a right to apprenticeship to all the youth. Every graduate or diploma holder will be eligible for this right. What is thisright?thatimmediatelyafter college or university, every graduate will get a year-long apprenticeship in a private company or government office and be given Rs1lakhforthesame,”rahulsaid. He said like MGNREGA, it will be backed by law: “This will help crores of youths.”

Third,hesaid,alawwillbeenacted to check paper leaks wherein there will be a standardised format to conduct exams. Under this, there will be no outsourcing to private firms, he said.

Fourth, he said, the gig workerslawpassedlastyearbytheprevious Ashok Gehlot government inrajasthanwillbeimplemented nationally.therajasthanplatform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act extends certain “rights”togigworkers,suchasbeing registered with the state, having access to general and specific social security schemes, and havingtheopportunityfortheirgrievances to be heard.

Fifth, he said, “Narendra Modi government did ‘Start Up India’ and ‘Make in India’, which benefited only 2-3 billionaires. So, Rs 5,000 crore will be set aside for a Start Up fund. This fund will be available in every district.” The scheme, he said, will be named Yuva Roshni.

Rahul said the biggest issue that was brought before him duringthe2022-23bharatjodoyatra wasunemployment,astheyouth complainedtohimaboutjoblessness and paper leaks.

Beyondthesefivepromises,he said the party will implement a law for Minimum Support Price. “We have taken a revolutionary step for farmers in our manifesto (where), for the first time in Hindustan, we have given a legal guarantee for MSP. The farmers who are walking towards Delhi and are being stopped on the roads; we have fulfilled their demand in our manifesto.”

Rahul also urged the marginalised communities to “realise” their strength. He said that about 90 per cent of the Indian population comprises SCS, STS, backwards and minorities. “On top of that,youadd5percentpoorofthe generalcastes.butifwelookatthe Indianinstitutions,thebudget,the money (flow), there is no participationofthesepeople.iaskyou— youareadivasis,andthepresident isanadivasi.theramtemplewas inaugurated, did you see her face on the television? Why not? Because she is an adivasi. Did you seeanypoor,farmers,labourersin the Ram temple inauguration?” Rahul said.

He said that there are two Indias, one of the 5 per cent and theotheroftherest.“andbeitany area, you won’t find Dalits, adivasisandthebackwardsanywhere,” he said, claiming that none of the top 200 Indian companies is owned by a tribal.

Pushing for a caste census, he said, “If we want to progress, we will have to take a historic step. Like when you are injured, a doctor tells you to get an X-ray, similarly Hindustan’s poor, the Dalit, adivasis, backwards and the general caste poor are being hurt, so an X-ray needs to be done.”

Takingtosocialmedialater,he elaborated on the first promise, sayingtherighttoapprenticeship would be “a forever cure for the disease of unemployment”. He said it would be applicable for those below 25 years of age.

Speakingattherally,congress president Kharge said, “It is Rahul ji’swishtotaketheyouthforward and remove unemployment. Hence, bharti bharosa (recruitment surety) is our first guarantee.modiji,whyaren’tyougetting time to fill up the vacancies? You have time to dive in the sea, to go everywhere for darshan, but when it comes to the people — whom we call Gods —you are not ready for their darshan.”

“Second, pehli naukri pakki (firstjobconfirmed).today,weare giving jobs, but of what kind? Contract labour, daily wage, and even in the military it is Agniveer for four years. What about pension? What is the road ahead for that person? Hence, …we will give apprenticeship,” he said.

Khargesaidthatduringtheyatra,rahulmetseveralpeoplewho aregigworkersorinformalsector workers, and felt the need to try and increase income and ensure economic justice for them. While the Rajasthan law covers only gig workers, Kharge indicated that the national law proposed by his party could include truck drivers, mechanics, carpenters and those in the informal sector.