Existing education is a ‘selection system’: Rahul Gandhi

KOTA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacted with around 33 students at Bharat Jodo Yatra camp during lunch break at Arneta village in Keshraipatan area of Bundi district on Saturday noon.
The students, including six girls, are taking free coaching for IIT and NEET at three different coaching institutes in Kota city under Rajasthan state government funded Mukhyamantari Anuprati coaching scheme for students of backward and economically weaker sections of the society.
State chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra were present with Rahul Gandhi during the interaction.
In interaction, Durgesh Vaishnav, a NEET aspirant from Sawai Madhopur district, taking coaching under the scheme in Kota, shared with Rahul his concerns that there was only one secondary level government school in his native village Sumanpura in Khandar tehsil in Sawai Madhopur and most of the local girls failed to pursue further studies.
“On my concern, Rahulji looked at CM Ashok Gehlot, who assured to immediately raise secondary level school to senior secondary ,” Durgesh said.
“Rahul is so simple and modest that I did not feel I was speaking not to such a big personality but to an ordinary common man like us,” Durgesh said.
Rahul also assured an IIT aspirant, identified as Khushi Meghwal (Class 11) of Kota, for admission in Taekwondo training academy.
She raised her concern of government’s various scholarship exams being cancelled and scrapped. Rahul assured inquiry into the matter and assured to write to the authority concerned, Khushi said.
“When I told Rahul about my passion for Taekwondo, he said he is also a Martial artist and assured me immediate admission in nearby Taekwondo academy,” Khushi said. Rahul Gandhi termed the existing education system in the country a ‘selection system’.
“Rahul said that it is a selection system in the country and not education system, education teaches one to ask questions while the existing education system teaches how to get selected in exam,” said a faculty present with students in the interaction.
“While interacting with students, Rahul asserted that he had been marching throughout India and most of the children were found to be choosing mainly 6-7 occupations, that included IAS, doctor, engineer, lawyer, judge and asked them why it was so that only those career prospects were on cards,” group coordinator Vinod Sharma said.
The students said that they were not aware of any other career prospects.
“The person, who works with his hands (for livelihood) does not have much respect in India, a mechanic or manual worker does not get respect here but the same person gets respect in foreign countries, receives loan from government so that he can raise bigger companies, Rahul told students and referred to renowned international companies as example,” Sharma said.