Rahul Gandhi Says Maharashtra Students’ Trust in System Has Been ‘Shattered’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday backed the ongoing student protests in Maharashtra, saying thousands of students have taken to the streets after their trust in the education and recruitment system was shattered. He urged the BJP-led government to listen to their concerns and take immediate corrective measures.

In a post on X, Gandhi said the protests were not linked to a single examination or recruitment process but reflected wider dissatisfaction with the functioning of the system. He alleged that students were facing several challenges, including paper leaks, stalled recruitments, rising education costs and poor hostel conditions.

Gandhi also raised concerns over the quality of food provided in hostels and alleged irregularities involving direct benefit transfers (DBT). He further accused the government of interfering with the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and claimed that the credibility of the constitutional recruitment body had been damaged.

“Every demand of the students for a secure and successful future is justified,” Gandhi said, calling on the government to respond to their concerns. He warned that the students’ “Chhatron ki Goonj” would continue to grow louder until their grievances were addressed.

His remarks came after the Maharashtra government constituted a high-level committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the state’s recruitment examination system. The panel has been tasked with suggesting measures to make examinations more transparent, secure, reliable and candidate-friendly.

The review will cover several aspects of the recruitment process, including question-paper preparation and scrutiny, confidentiality and secure handling of examination papers, centre management, technology use and prevention of malpractice.

The committee will also examine coordination between agencies, grievance redressal mechanisms and the overall experience of candidates. The protests have involved tribal students and job aspirants, who have raised concerns over hostel facilities, student safety and examination paper leaks. The government has accepted key demands and announced the examination reform panel in response to the growing agitation.