Rahul Gandhi says only 12 of 1,000 youth get permanent jobs

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that out of every 1,000 young people in India, only 12 secure a permanent job. He made the claim while addressing the 'Chhatron ki Goonj' event in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, a student outreach campaign aimed at highlighting failures in education and employment.

Gandhi blamed demonetisation and the GST for destroying manufacturing, criticised banks for not lending to students under Startup India, and said government jobs are hit by paper leaks, with only one in 150 candidates succeeding. He also accused digital platforms of addicting youth to social media while pushing them into gig work.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya dismissed the event as a 'flop show' and a rebranding of a party workers' convention. He said on X that the state's youth stand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.