Mallikarjun Kharge accuses Modi government of gutting India's education system

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the Modi government of systematically gutting India’s education system over the last 12 years. In a social media post, Kharge claimed the government has paralyzed the school and higher education landscape, stating that the future of an entire generation of youth has been “recklessly destroyed & sacrificed.”

Kharge cited several statistics to support these claims, including the closure of 94,000 government schools under BJP rule, which averages to 25 closures per day. He also highlighted infrastructure issues, alleging that 1.19 million schools operate without functional electricity and 50% of secondary schools lack science laboratories. Additionally, he noted that 7,993 schools with zero students continue to receive official funding.

The criticism included the story of Ramabai Ranveer, a widowed cook from Maharashtra who ran a local marathon barefoot to win a 3,000 rupee prize to fund her daughters’ education. Kharge used this story as a symbol of the financial desperation facing families under current policies.