‘Gen Z’ will break PM Modi’s arrogance: Rahul Gandhi

He said this government scares and defames youth who raise questions, but these young people and ‘Gen Z’ will be the ones to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrogance.

He also said that complaints of wrong evaluation and irregularities under the online marking system have fallen on deaf ears, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is clinging to his chair.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, posted on ‘X’: “The Modi-Pradhan duo has turned another institution into a symbol of manipulation. For the first time in decades, such serious questions have been raised on the CBSE board exams. 18.5 lakh children appeared for the exam, and for the past one week, complaints of wrong marking and evaluation irregularities under OSM have been ignored, while the Education Minister continues to stick to his chair.”

He said, “A 17-year-old child whose answer sheet was wrongly checked came on social media hoping for justice. But instead of help, he received abuse. The BJP’s IT cell called him ‘anti-national’, a ‘Soros agent’, and part of the ‘Deep State’. When a 17-year-old raises his voice for his future, the BJP turns him into a traitor.”

Rahul Gandhi claimed that the truth is that the Modi government is scared of the youth and ‘Gen Z’ because they are now asking questions, and this government defames, intimidates, and crushes those who ask questions. He said, “Listen, Modi ji, it is these youth, this Gen Z, that will break your arrogance.”

Jairam Ramesh alleged on X that due to the OSM system, “the academic future of lakhs of children has been affected” and serious questions have arisen on CBSE’s functioning. He claimed that this year the Class 12 pass percentage has dropped from 88% to 85%.

He said that the CBSE introduced the ‘On-Screen Marking System’ for the Class 12 board exams, which has impacted the academic future of lakhs of students across the country. He noted that the Class 12 pass percentage has fallen by three percentage points this year, and irregularities are being reported throughout the evaluation process.

Targeting Dharmendra Pradhan, Jairam said the minister reacted only after concerns escalated. He alleged that the Education Minister failed to anticipate the challenges before implementing the system. “Dharmendra Pradhan is responding now, after the problems in the system have already surfaced.” He accused the minister of trying to project himself better by involving IIT Kanpur to resolve technical issues.

He questioned why the CBSE and the Education Ministry did not make adequate plans before adopting the digital marking system and why it took more than a week to give an official response.

Intensifying the attack on the Central Government, Jairam Ramesh said the Education Minister should resign, fulfilling his responsibility towards the country. He said the Prime Minister should explain why such a minister — whose actions are affecting students’ futures — has been retained in the post for so long.