A Report on Parliament March

RSS bent on destroying education system in the country: Shri Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi on March 24, 2025, warned against the capture of the country’s education system by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying it will prove to be very dangerous for the country.

While addressing a united gathering of student organisations of various Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Shri Rahul Gandhi said, the RSS was bent on destroying the education system of the country. He cautioned against the RSS grabbing the education system, saying it will destroy not only the education system, but the country as a whole.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi observed that all the Vice Chancellors in various Central universities were the nominees of the RSS and very soon this was going to be the fate of the state universities, which needs to be prevented from happening.

His comments were in response to the University Grants Commission (UGC) drafton faculty and academic staff appointments and promotions circulated on January 6, which stipulate that the chancellor or visitor of a university will establish a three-member search-cum-selection committee for appointing vice-chancellors. Under this framework, the governor’s nominee would chair the committee, with the other two members appointed by the UGC Chairman and the university’s apex body.

He said, if the RSS is allowed to capture the education system, there will be no jobs and no employment. He added, PM Modi’s model is to give the country’s wealth to a few select industrialists, and hand over all the institutions to the RSS.

Former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi maintained that various INDIA bloc partners may have certain differences of opinion as far as their ideologies or policies are concerned, but they were united and unanimous about defending the education system of the country. He said, they will all fight against the RSS together. “We will never compromise on defending the education system of the country”, he asserted amidst thundering applause by the students who had gathered here from across the country.

In his address, Shri Rahul Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that Modi spoke about the ‘Kumbh Mela’ in Parliament but should also address the youth’s unemployment, “which is the country’s biggest issue”. “I wanted to tell him (Modi) that it is good to speak on ‘Kumbh Mela’, but he should also speak of the future. He should speak against unemployment. Your government has made the youth of this country unemployed, and you should speak about that too. But he does not do that. Because their model is to hand over the country’s resources to Adani and Ambani and the educational institutions to RSS,” he said.

Apart from NSUI, the protest march saw the participation of representatives of 10students’ organisations bodies, including CPIML’s All-India Students Association (AISA), CPI’s All-India Students’ Federation (AISF), CPI (M)’s Students’ Federation of India (SFI), RJD’s Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal, SP’s Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and IUML’s Muslim Students Federation among others. NSUI President Varun Choudhary said that 10 student organisations of the INDIA bloc have submitted a memorandum to Gandhi, highlighting the “devastating impact of the BJP government’s anti-student policies.” Restoration of students’ union elections in universities; scrapping of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and University Grants Commission (UGC) draft on faculty and academic staff appointments and promotions; stoppage of paper leaks; and timely disbursal of scholarships were among the major demands raised by student leaders during the protest march. The demands of the INDIA bloc’s student organisations include addressing crucial issues such as paper leaks, holding of university elections, and withdrawal of the National Education Policy and the UGC draft regulations on faculty appointments.

He also congratulated the students for coming together to defend the education system in the country. He exhorted them to take this fight to every corner of the country. He assured them whenever and wherever they will need him, he will always be there.