Congress leader cites Indore student's concerns over safe and affordable accommodation; raises wider questions on education, recruitment and student welfare
New Delhi, September 2026: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday raised concerns over the shortage of hostel facilities for female students, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond to the difficulties faced by young women pursuing higher education.
Gandhi referred to his interaction with a female student during his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore on Saturday. The student, who had travelled from a village to the city for higher studies, reportedly told him about the difficulties of finding safe and affordable accommodation.
Sharing the interaction on social media, Gandhi said the student had questioned why funds could be spent on lighting diyas while adequate resources were not available for student hostels. He said the absence of hostel facilities forced the student to live in paying guest (PG) accommodation, adding to the financial and security pressures associated with pursuing education away from home.
Gandhi further claimed that the burden of rent and the fear of losing accommodation were affecting students' ability to concentrate on their studies. He also raised questions about housing allowances, alleging that these had not kept pace with inflation and were vulnerable to corruption.
“Many girls drop out of their studies for this very reason — because there’s no place to live,” Gandhi said, while asking Modi whether he had an answer to the student's concern.
The Congress leader's remarks followed his broader address at the fifth edition of 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Indore, where he interacted with students on education, recruitment, examinations and employment. The programme was organised around the theme 'system versus students'.
During the event, Gandhi alleged that what he described as a “system” had become resistant to students questioning institutions and authorities. He said students were naturally curious, asked questions and sought answers about recruitment, examinations, educational opportunities and the functioning of institutions.
Gandhi also used the term “andhbhakts” while criticising supporters of the Prime Minister and alleged that the system preferred people who did not question its functioning. These were political assertions made by Gandhi during the event.
He further alleged that the system had multiple layers and named Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani while making broader claims about the concentration of political, institutional and economic influence.
Gandhi's comments also touched upon student grievances over recruitment delays, examination-related concerns and the rising cost of education. According to reports from the Indore programme, students raised issues related to recruitment, vacancies, examination processes and hostel shortages.
Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera separately criticised the government over what he described as inadequate investment in education infrastructure, teachers, training, hostels and employment. His comments were part of the Congress party's broader criticism of the government's education policies.
Gandhi's latest remarks therefore linked the immediate issue of accommodation for female students with his wider criticism of the education system and the challenges confronting young people. The Congress leader has placed student concerns, access to education, recruitment and employment at the centre of his recent youth outreach programme.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
