NEW DELHI: Breaking his silence on the ongoing student protests in Jharkhand, where the Congress is part of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said governments must listen to students and act to reform the education system.During an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram, Rahul Gandhi was asked to support the student protests in Jharkhand.The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha replied, “The student protests happening in the country are against the education system. I have stated it clearly in Kota and Dehradun, and will say it in Allahabad: our education system has collapsed; it is unaffordable and oppressive.”“Every government, be it the central government, Jharkhand government or a Congress government, should listen to what students are saying and take action to change the education system,” he added.The Wayanad MP had openly supported the NEET (UG) paper leak protests in Delhi but had remained silent on the Jharkhand protests, with many questioning why he had not spoken out on the issue.Meanwhile, the protest against alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in Jharkhand entered its 13th day on Thursday, with six demonstrators on a hunger strike. The agitating students and job aspirants formed an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the government to resolve the impasse.The agitation, which began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, has emerged as one of the biggest student-led movements in the state in recent years.The decision to hold talks with the state government came a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren opened the door for dialogue with the agitators.The demonstrators have been demanding the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment test either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.In a post on X, Soren highlighted that the concerns raised by students were being treated with “utmost seriousness” by his government.He maintained that probe agencies were working round the clock and that those responsible for the alleged irregularities were being sent to jail.“Our objective is not just to investigate but to provide a permanent solution to students’ concerns,” Soren added, while assuring that the state government’s doors remained open for them to present their demands and suggestions.He further assured that every point would be examined carefully and a concrete solution would be announced soon.(With PTI inputs)
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