Overview
- Rahul Gandhi led the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' student interaction in Kota on Wednesday, June 17, drawing thousands of aspirants and on-stage exchanges with NEET, JEE and civil service hopefuls.
- The Congress presented the Kota meeting as the launch of a wider campaign with planned conventions in Prayagraj, Patna and Delhi to press demands on paper leaks, exam mismanagement and rising education costs.
- Party leaders alleged local interference before the event, saying posters were removed and coaching and PG operators faced pressure to keep students away, a claim that BJP leaders denied and called politically motivated.
- The BJP criticised the timing as inappropriate for test-takers and accused Congress of politicising students, while the Central Bureau of Investigation continues probing the May 3 NEET paper leak and the National Testing Agency has scheduled a June 21 re-test.
- Kota’s status as India’s largest coaching hub underlines the human stakes: families pay large sums for coaching, students face acute stress, and Congress aims to turn those grievances into voter mobilisation and demands for ministerial accountability.