Congress revamps youth strategy after student protests force political recalibration

In a recent meeting, the Congress Working Committee placed youth outreach at the core of its agenda, unveiling a suite of actions aimed at recapturing the support of young Indians. Among the proposals is an “Education-to-Employment Roadmap,” with the party’s four chief ministers tasked to submit reform reports on state education systems. The shift comes after the CJP-organized Jantar Mantar protests, which rallied large numbers of students, forced minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign, and highlighted government neglect of student concerns.

Rahul Gandhi visited a Delhi police station with a pellet-gun victim from the July 20 Sansad Chalo protest, demanding a formal complaint, and later voiced backing for hunger-striking students in Jharkhand despite the party’s role in the state government. In Rajasthan, the Congress condemned an attack on a CJP team outside a school, echoing its broader effort to align with student grievances across the country.