Congress Launches Manifesto with Commitments to Education, Employment, and Healthcare

The Congress Party has released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, titled 'Justice Charter', at the AICC headquarters. The document, unveiled by party president Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, outlines a series of pledges across five key areas of justice, encompassing 25 specific commitments.

Key promises include the introduction of a 'Right to Apprenticeship' program, ensuring a one-year apprenticeship for individuals under 25 with a diploma or degree. The manifesto also commits to filling approximately 30 lakh vacancies in government positions and implementing a 10% job and education quota for the economically weaker sections across all communities.

In healthcare, the party proposes to adopt a Rajasthan-inspired cashless insurance scheme, offering coverage up to ₹25 lakh. Additionally, the manifesto promises a constitutional amendment to increase the reservation cap above 50% for SCs, STs, and OBCs.

The party has pledged to conduct a comprehensive socio-economic and caste census nationwide. It calls on the electorate to transcend divisions of religion, language, and caste to elect a democratic government that will overhaul the governance style of the last decade.

The manifesto assures legal backing for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) as per the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations. It also vows to reinstate full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir promptly.

Furthermore, the Congress Party plans to initiate an urban employment scheme to provide jobs for the urban poor in infrastructure renewal projects. The manifesto also states the party's intention to discontinue the Agnipath program and revert to standard recruitment practices to fill all authorized positions in the armed forces.