The Congress on April 5 released the manifesto titled “Nyay patra” for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 scheduled in seven phases beginning from April 19. The grand old party has made numerous promises including job reservations for EWS, law for the LGBTQIA+ community, Mahalaxmi Scheme, nationwide caste census, and others in its poll manifesto.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Top 15 promises from Congress ‘Nyay Patra’
1) The reservation of 10 percent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be implemented for all castes and communities without discrimination, the Congress manifesto read.
2) The grand old party promised to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions and it will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 percent cap on reservations for SC, ST, and OBC.
3) “We will assist state governments to establish one Government Community College in every tehsil/taluk for students completing Class XII. These community colleges will offer a broad range of degrees/diplomas suitable for jobs in the service industry (e.g. hospitality, tourism, digital marketing, paramedical, paralegal, etc.) and for jobs in the manufacturing industry that require basic technical skills.”
4) In its manifesto, the Congress also stated that it will fill all the backlog vacancies in posts reserved for SC, ST, and OBC within one year if elected to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Also Read | Live updates on Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha elections 2024
5) The party assured that funds for scholarships for OBC, SC, and ST students will be doubled, especially for higher education. “We will aid SC and ST students to study abroad; and will double the number of scholarships for them to pursue a Ph.D. We will enhance institutional credit to SC and ST for home-building, starting businesses, and purchasing assets.”
6) Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws. “We will encourage reform of personal laws. Such reform must be undertaken with the participation and consent of the communities concerned.”
7) Congress will bring a law to recognize civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, the party promised.
8) Congress will give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, the manifesto read.
9) “In consultation with farmers’ organizations, we will make available to farmers three avenues for sale of agricultural produce — Regulated Market under the prevailing APMC Act, e-market, and freedom to the farmer to sell agricultural produce at the farm-gate or at any other place.”
10) Congress resolves to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide ₹1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The poor will be identified among the families in the bottom of the income pyramid.
11) “We will amend the election laws to combine the efficiency of the electronic voting machine (EVM) and the transparency of the ballot paper. Voting will be through the EVM but the voter will be able to hold and deposit the machine-generated voting slip into the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit. The electronic vote tally will be matched against the VVPAT slip tally,” the party said.
12) “The Congress is committed to rapid growth and generation of wealth. We have set a target of doubling the GDP in the next 10 years,” the party said.
13) The grand old party also promised to double the number of Anganwadi workers and create an additional 14 lakh jobs. It will also guarantee a national minimum wage of ₹400 per day.
14) “We reject the ‘one nation one election’ idea and we promise that elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies will be held as and when they are due in accordance with the Constitution and the traditions of a parliamentary democracy.”
15) Congress will pass a law to curb monopolies in the media, cross-ownership of different segments of the media, and control of the media by business organizations, the manifesto said.
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Published: 05 Apr 2024, 12:44 PM IST