'Education System Failing To Turn Demographic Dividend Into Opportunities,' Says MP Congress Chief Jitu Patwari | VIDEO

· Free Press Journal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Ahead of Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari on Wednesday said the country's education system was failing to convert its demographic dividend into educational and employment opportunities.

Gandhi's youth outreach programme will be held in Indore on September 19.

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Addressing a press conference, Patwari cited data from various sources, including NITI Aayog, and claimed that more than 10 crore youths in the country do not have access to higher education, while around 12 crore children do not complete their schooling.

India faces the challenge of a rapidly declining share of the youth population in the coming years due to a falling birth rate. At the same time, a large number of children and youths are unable to access quality education, the Congress leader said.

India's youth population can become the country's greatest strength, but this requires ensuring access to schools for every child, higher education and skill development opportunities for every youth, along with employment opportunities, he said.

With a large number of children dropping out of school, vacant teacher positions, a decline in the number of government schools, and millions of youths being deprived of higher education, the demographic dividend cannot automatically transform into an education dividend, Patwari said.

Congress spokesperson Abhay Dubey claimed that the "BJP government is not only making education unaffordable but is also making the movement unaffordable."

Referring to political dialogue and democratic traditions, Dubey said previous Congress governments, as well as the BJP government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had extended cooperation and hospitality to each other. In a democracy, the tradition of dialogue, exchange of ideas and hospitality between political parties must continue, he added.

Notably, the Indore administration had denied permission to the Congress to hold Rahul Gandhi's programme at a stadium in the city.

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The Congress has demanded that the government immediately issue a white paper on data related to the education system, fill vacant teaching positions, strengthen infrastructure in government schools and universities, and present a clear, time-bound roadmap from education to employment for children and youths, Dubey said.

Asked why the Congress did not oppose the administration's demand of over ₹10 lakh for booking a ground for the Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore, Patwari said the party was focused on organising the programme and therefore did not protest against the "unjust demand".

He said Congress governments had supported programmes organised by the BJP in the past as a gesture of courtesy.

Responding to another question, Patwari asked whether the BJP government had paid the administration for programmes of its president Nitin Nabin scheduled on September 17 and 18.

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