The Congress unveiled its manifesto, known as ‘Nyay Patra’, for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. Key figures of the party, such as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, presented the election manifesto, just days before the general elections. The manifesto highlighted the Paanch Nyay or ‘five pillars of justice’, which include ‘Yuva Nyay’, ‘Naari Nyay’, ‘Kisaan Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’, and ‘Hissedari Nyay’, along with the commitments made by the party to the public as part of its election pledges for the Lok Sabha polls.
Key promises from Congress manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’:
The Congress has announced its plans to address several key issues in the country. Firstly, it aims to fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts across various levels in the central government. This will help in providing employment opportunities to a large number of individuals.
Additionally, the Congress has promised to ensure a national minimum wage of ₹400 per day, which will benefit workers across different sectors. This step is aimed at improving the standard of living for the working class.
The party also plans to adopt the successful Rajasthan model of cashless insurance, which provides coverage of up to ₹25 lakh, for universal healthcare. This will ensure that individuals have access to quality healthcare without financial burden.
Furthermore, the Congress intends to provide legal guarantees to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. This will protect the interests of farmers and ensure fair prices for their produce.
In terms of social reforms, the Congress is committed to upholding the freedom of choice for minorities in matters of dress, food, language, and personal laws. The party also aims to encourage the reform of personal laws, with the active participation and consent of the communities involved.
To address issues of caste and reservations, the Congress plans to conduct a nationwide socio-economic and caste Census. This will help in understanding the socio-economic conditions of different castes and sub-castes. Additionally, the party intends to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the current 50 per cent cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
In order to alleviate the financial burden on students, the Congress has pledged to abolish application fees for government examinations and posts. Additionally, as a one-time relief measure, all outstanding student educational loans, including unpaid interest as of 15 March 2024, will be written off. The government will compensate the banks for this.
Recognizing the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, the Congress plans to bring a law to recognize civil unions between couples belonging to this community. This step aims to provide legal recognition and protection to these unions.
Lastly, the Congress aims to address the inadequate pension amounts provided under the National Social Assistance Programme for senior citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities. The party plans to increase the monthly pension amount from the current ₹200-₹500 to ₹1,000, ensuring a more dignified life for these individuals.
Overall, the Congress has outlined a comprehensive manifesto that addresses various aspects of governance and social welfare,
The Congress has announced its plan to allocate 50 percent of central government jobs to women starting in 2025. This initiative aims to promote gender equality and provide more opportunities for women in the workforce. Additionally, the Congress will introduce a separate legislation for sports federations, bodies, and associations to ensure compliance with the Olympic Charter. This legislation will prioritize autonomy, accountability, and protection against discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. Furthermore, the Congress will offer sports scholarships of ₹10,000 per month to talented individuals below the age of 21. These measures aim to support and nurture young sportspeople in their pursuit of excellence.
The Congress also pledges to launch the Mahalakshmi scheme, which will provide ₹1 lakh per year as an unconditional cash transfer to every impoverished Indian family. This scheme aims to alleviate poverty and uplift those at the bottom of the income pyramid. Moreover, the Congress plans to amend election laws to combine the efficiency of electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the transparency of ballot papers. Voters will have the opportunity to deposit the machine-generated voting slip into the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit, ensuring a reliable and verifiable voting process. The Congress also promises to respect personal choices regarding food, dress, love, marriage, and travel, and will repeal any laws that unreasonably infringe upon personal freedoms.
Additionally, the Congress aims to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to make defection an automatic disqualification from the Assembly or Parliament. This measure seeks to promote political integrity and discourage opportunistic party-switching. Furthermore, the Congress plans to amend the Press Council of India Act, 1978, empowering the Council to address the issues of fake news and paid news.
This amendment aims to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the press. Lastly, the Congress is committed to achieving rapid economic growth and wealth generation, setting a target of doubling the GDP within the next decade. As part of this commitment, the Congress intends to replace the current GST laws enacted by the BJP/NDA government with GST 2. This revised GST framework aims to streamline and enhance the efficiency of the taxation system.
The GST laws enacted by the BJP/NDA government will be replaced by GST 2.0 under the Congress. The new GST regime will adhere to the universally accepted principle of a single, moderate rate (with a few exceptions) that will not impose a heavy burden on the less privileged.
The Congress has expressed its commitment to repairing relations with the Maldives and striving to restore the previous state of affairs on our borders with China. Additionally, efforts will be made to ensure that areas where both armies previously patrolled become accessible to our soldiers once again. The necessary measures will be taken to adjust our policy towards China until this objective is accomplished.