At the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, the Congress unveiled its manifesto, or “Nyay Patra,” for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Days before the general elections, the party’s top leaders—including former presidents Rahul and Sonia Gandhi as well as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge—released the poll manifesto.
The Congress placed a strong emphasis on Paanch Nyay, also known as the “five pillars of justice,” which include “Yuva Nyay,” “Naari Nyay,” “Kisaan Nyay,” “Shramik Nyay,” and “Hissedari Nyay,” in addition to the pledges it made to the electorate in connection with the Lok Sabha elections.
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Congress “Nyay Patra” Read:
- The Congress declared that it would appoint nearly thirty lakh people to authorized positions at different levels within the central government.
- The national minimum wage of ₹400 per day is guaranteed by Congress.
- For universal healthcare, the cashless insurance model from Rajasthan, up to ₹25 lakh, will be implemented.
- The Congress, following the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation, will provide legal guarantees for the MSP that the government announces annually.
- The Congress will make sure that minorities have the same freedoms to choose their own laws, attire, diet, and language as any other citizen. We’ll support personal law reform. The communities involved must participate in and give their consent for such reform to be implemented.
- The Congress declared that it would pass a constitutional amendment raising the 50% cap on reservations for SC, ST, and OBC, as well as conduct a national socioeconomic and caste census to count the castes and sub-castes and their socioeconomic conditions.
- “We are going to do away with application fees for government jobs and exams. The amount owed, including unpaid interest as of March 15, 2024, for all student education loans will be written off as a one-time measure of relief due to widespread unemployment, and the banks will be compensated by the government, the Congress stated in its manifesto.
- The Congress will introduce a law to recognize civil unions between LGBTQIA+ couples following extensive public consultation.
- The National Social Assistance Program provides pensions to elderly, widowed, and disabled people under the austere monthly contribution of ₹200–₹500 from the central government. The party declared that the Congress will increase this sum to ₹1,000 per month.
- The Congress declared, “We will reserve half (50%) of central government jobs for women starting in 2025.”
- For the purpose of registering sports federations, bodies, or associations, the Congress will pass separate legislation that will guarantee complete adherence to the Olympic Charter, permit autonomy and full accountability, and offer members and athletes redress against bias, discrimination, sexual harassment, abuse, wrongful termination, and other issues. Congress will offer talented and aspiring athletes under the age of 21 sports scholarships worth ₹10,000 a month.
- The Congress decides to implement the Mahalakshmi scheme, which will give every impoverished Indian family an unconditional ₹1 lakh annual cash transfer. The families at the base of the income pyramid will be considered impoverished.
- “To combine the transparency of the ballot paper with the effectiveness of the electronic voting machine (EVM), we will amend the election laws. Voters may hold and deposit the machine-generated voting slip into the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit in addition to using the EVM to cast their ballots. The VVPAT slip tally and the electronic vote tally will be compared, the Congress
- We pledge to respect individual decisions about what to eat and wear, who to love and marry, where to travel, and where to live in India. Every law and regulation that unjustly restricts an individual’s freedom will be removed. The Congress declared, “We commit to revising the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to automatically disqualify defection—that is, leaving the original party on which an MLA or MP was elected—from membership in the Assembly or Parliament.
- The Press Council of India Act, 1978 will be amended, according to the Congress, giving the Council more authority to combat the threat of paid and bogus news.
- The Congress is dedicated to wealth creation and rapid growth. Our goal is to double the GDP over the next ten years.
- The BJP/NDA government’s GST laws will be replaced by GST 2.0, a proposal from the Congress. The widely acknowledged idea that the GST should have a single, moderate rate (with a few exceptions) that doesn’t burden the poor will serve as the foundation for the new GST regime.
- The Congress declared that it would work to mend fences with China, mend relations with the Maldives, and make sure that our soldiers can once again access areas that both armies have patrolled in the past. We’ll make the required changes to our approach to China.
