As the race to 2024 heats up, the Indian National Congress has rolled out its manifesto, packed with fairytale-like promises and a vision for what they call a “progressive India.” Dubbed “Congress Manifesto 2024,” INC leaders and party workers alike are claiming this is a blueprint aiming to address social justice, healthcare, education, and more. While it’s always good to take manifesto promises with a pinch of salt, let’s dive into the highlights and dissect what’s on the table without any prejudice so as readers, you can decide for yourself.
Congress Manifesto 2024 Hits
- Legally recognise civil unions between LGBTQIA+ individuals
- Mahalakshmi scheme: Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor family
- Amendment to raise 50% cap on reservations for SC, ST nada OBC communities
- Restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir
- One-third reservation for women from Assembly from 2025 and LS from 2029
- Legally ensure ‘bail is the rule, jail is the exception’
- Abolish Agnipath initiative
- Junk the ‘One Nation One Election’ programme
- Nationwide socio-economic & caste census
- National minimum wage at Rs 400 per day
- Right to apprenticeship to every diploma holder or graduate below 25
- Legal guarantee to MSP as per Swaminathan Commission
- 10% job quota in jobs and educational institutions for EWS of all castes
- Right to Apprenticeship Act for guaranteed 1-year apprenticeship/internship to all diploma graduates below age of 25
- Legal guarantee to MSP
- Rajsathan model of cashless health insurance of up to Rs 20 lakh will be adopted
- Universal healthcare will be implemented across all govt hospitals and clinics
- Scrap contractualisation and ensure regularisation of govt jobs and PSUs
- Fill 30 lakh vacancies at various levels in central govt
- Restore travel concessions in public transport for senior citizens
- Rs 10,000 monthly scholarships for budding athletes below 21 years of age
Congress Manifesto 2024 – Misses
- Financial feasibility: Some of the promises, such as the Mahalakshmi scheme and the national minimum wage, may require significant financial resources, more than the nation can afford to spend on subsidies currently. There might be concerns about how these initiatives will be funded.
- Implementation challenges: Promises like the nationwide socio-economic & caste census and legal guarantees for MSP may face logistical and administrative hurdles in implementation.
- Potential for increased reservations: The amendment to raise the 50% cap on reservations could lead to debates about the impact on general-category individuals and the overall effectiveness of reservation policies.
- Political and regional implications: Restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and scrapping the ‘One Nation One Election’ programme could have complex political and regional ramifications.
SOCIAL JUSTICE &EQUITY
The Indian National Congress manifesto on social justice includes promises to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census, amend the constitution to raise the 50% cap on reservations, implement a 10% reservation for EWS across all castes, fill backlog vacancies for reserved posts, and abolish contractualisation in government jobs.
The party has also announced that it will enhance institutional credit for SC/ST individuals, monitor the distribution of government land to the poor, expand public procurement for SC/ST contractors, double scholarship funds for OBC, SC, and ST students, establish residential schools for poor SC/ST students, include the life and work of social reformers in the school curriculum, and establish Ambedkar Bhavans in every district.
Enact laws for reservation in private institutions and for allocation of resources in the budget for SC/ST sub-plans, end manual scavenging and rehabilitate workers, enforce the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, notify more areas as Scheduled Areas, implement the Forest Rights Act effectively, settle pending FRA claims, ensure state laws conform to the PESA Act, enact the Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination in education, implement the recommendations of the Renke Commission, provide free education for Nomadic Tribes and De-notified Tribes, and establish a Diversity Commission to promote diversity in employment and education are the crux of all the social justice assurances the party has announced in its manifesto.
RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES
Congress’ manifesto promises to respect and uphold the rights of religious and linguistic minorities as guaranteed under the Constitution, encourage their participation in various fields, restore and increase the Maulana Azad Scholarships, ensure economic empowerment and fair opportunities in various sectors, uphold their freedom of choice in personal matters, encourage reform of personal laws with community participation, and meet demands for the inclusion of more languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
SENIOR CITIZENS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITIES
Congress assures that it would increase pensions for senior citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities, ensure easy access to legal services for senior citizens, review and enforce the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, restore travel concessions for senior citizens, expand constitutional protections against discrimination, recognise Braille and Sign Language as languages, establish a National Centre for Special Education, provide representation for persons with disabilities in local government, enforce the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, implement a scheme for Assisted Living and Care Centres, and bring a law to recognise civil unions for the LGBTQIA+ community.
HEALTH
Universal and free healthcare in public health centres, adopting the Rajasthan Model of cashless insurance, upgrading Primary Health Centres, redesigning the universal healthcare program to include private hospitals, providing maternity benefits and paid maternity leave, increasing the budget allocation for health, doubling the hardship allowance for doctors in rural areas, doubling the contribution to the pay of frontline health workers, establishing government medical colleges in each district, filling vacancies in medical and paramedical posts, reviewing the National Medical Commission Act, supporting all systems of medicine, expanding central government dispensaries, undertaking a National Mission on Immunization, addressing nutritional deficiency among children, and passing a law against violence towards healthcare professionals are the key promises in this section.
Also read: How India became polio-free
YOUTH
Introduction of the ‘Right to Apprenticeship Act’, provision of fast-track courts for cases of leaked exam papers, fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in the central government, restructure the Fund of Funds Scheme for startups, offer relief to students affected by the pandemic, abolish application fees for government exams, write off student educational loans as a one-time relief measure, and provide sports scholarships to talented young athletes are the essential promises made for youth in the country.
EDUCATION
The Congress’ manifesto on education promises to amend the RTE Act for compulsory and free education from Class I to XII. The party has also decided to revisit the National Education Policy (NEP) in consultation with state governments, end charging of special fees in public schools, encourage fee regulation in private schools.
Ensuring dedicated teachers for each class and subject in government schools, expand foundational learning programs and emphasis on STEM subjects are additional merits there.
The appeal also mentions discouraging non-teaching activities for teachers, regularising contractual teachers, integrating pre-primary and primary education, addressing learning outcome gaps, increasing Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodya Vidyalayas, and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, and restoring autonomy to higher educational institutions.
Scholarships for disadvantaged groups, establish Government Community Colleges, revive the Education Loan program, represent teachers in governing bodies, fill teaching and non-teaching vacancies, strengthen accreditation bodies, ensure equitable access to digital learning, regulate coaching centers and EdTech companies, and establish state-of-the-art public libraries are other promises mentioned in the manifesto.
SPORTS
On sports, the Congress party promises to ensure governance norms in sports bodies, enact legislation for the registration of sports federations, provide sports scholarships, establish community sports centres and coaching centres, create a National Sports Science Institute, introduce a “Sporting Heroes Job Guarantee” program, and allocate funds to promote sports among girls, women, persons with disabilities, and disadvantaged groups.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
On the issue of women empowerment, Congress promises to launch the Mahalakshmi scheme for financial support, enforce the one-third reservation for women in State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha, reserve half of central government jobs for women, appoint more women to high positions, eliminate gender discrimination in laws and wages, double the pay of frontline health workers, increase institutional credit for women, expand women’s participation in the workforce, re-incorporate the Bhartiya Mahila Bank, ensure equality in legal matters, strictly enforce laws against offences towards women, fund state governments for night shelters and public toilets for women, double the number of working women hostels, and appoint an Adhikar Maitri in every Panchayat.
FARMERS
Legal guarantees for MSP, making the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP) a statutory body, direct digital payments of MSP, a Permanent Commission on Agricultural Finance, farm-specific crop insurance, multiple avenues for selling agricultural produce, farmers’ retail markets, a sound import-export policy for agricultural commodities, reviving Agricultural Extension Services, promoting solar energy for tube wells, initiatives for horticulture, pisciculture, and sericulture, doubling the value of dairying and poultry output, establishing agricultural and veterinary colleges in every district, and doubling funding for R&D in agriculture are the highlights in this category.
FISHERIES AND FISHING COMMUNITIES
Promises for fisheries and fishing communities include restoring diesel subsidies, expedite search for missing fisherfolk, provide insurance for sea-going fishing boats, issue credit cards for fishing communities, enumerate fishing communities in the caste census, recognise inland fishing and aquaculture as ‘agriculture’, promote phytosanitary standards for marine product exports, develop fishing harbours, create cooperative banks for fishing communities, and establish mechanisms with neighbouring countries to resolve issues faced by fishing communities.
WORKERS
Congress’ manifesto for workers promises to introduce reforms in industrial and labour laws, address gender discrimination and inequality, enforce the principle of ‘Same Work, Same Wages’, increase MGNREGA wages, launch an urban employment program, protect the rights of gig and unorganized workers, regulate employment of domestic help and migrant workers, update ration card lists, expand PDS coverage, allocate funds to food security schemes, open Indira Canteens, appoint additional ASHA workers, double Anganwadi workers, and guarantee a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day.
CONSTITUTION
The Congress manifesto on the Constitution promises to restore freedoms, decriminalise defamation, review laws that restrict freedom of speech and privacy, uphold the right to assemble and form associations, respect personal choices, ensure parliamentary traditions, reject ‘one nation one election,’ restore trust in the election process, strengthen the autonomy of constitutional bodies, amend the Tenth Schedule for automatic disqualification in case of defection, restore the Planning Commission, ensure law enforcement agencies function within the law, end the weaponization of laws, and introduce comprehensive prison reform.
MEDIA
The Congress manifesto for media emphasises self-regulation, protection of journalistic freedoms, laws to curb media monopolies, transparency in ownership structures, preservation of Internet freedom, amendments to laws that enable censorship, and changes to the Cinematograph Act for transparent certification criteria.
JUDICIARY
Congress’ manifesto on the judiciary includes establishing a National Judicial Commission for judge appointments, filling vacancies, creating two divisions in the Supreme Court, increasing funds for judicial infrastructure, appointing more women and SC/ST/OBC/minority judges, and establishing a Judicial Complaints Commission.
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
The Congress manifesto on culture and heritage focuses on guaranteeing artistic freedom, opposing censorship, sustaining living traditions, empowering artisans, ensuring autonomy of cultural institutions, promoting art education, retrieving stolen art, supporting the establishment of museums and digital archives, building a national network of libraries, revitalizing the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities, and offering grants for translation to foster national integration and soft power abroad.
ECONOMY
For the economy, the Congress manifesto emphasises job creation, supporting the private sector and MSMEs, removing distrust and fear in the business ecosystem, protecting innovation and intellectual property, supporting free trade, ensuring a level playing field, opposing monopolies and crony capitalism, favouring job-creating enterprises, aiming for full employment, introducing reforms in industrial and labour laws, addressing gender discrimination in the workplace, offering low-interest loans to Self-Help Groups, reviewing bank charges, launching urban employment programs, protecting the rights of gig and unorganized workers, regulating employment of domestic help and migrant workers, reorienting tax policies towards employment and wages, and addressing wealth and income inequality.
Also read: Electoral bonds unmasked
UNEMPLOYMENT
The Congress manifesto on unemployment focuses on filling vacancies in government sectors, publishing a job calendar, abolishing the Agnipath program, appointing additional ASHA workers, doubling Anganwadi workers, creating an employment-linked incentive scheme, launching a strategic mining program, initiating urban employment programs, implementing restoration programs through panchayats, establishing Skills Training Institutes, incentivizing solar grid establishment, and amending laws for safer workplaces for women.
TAX REFORMS
For tax reforms, the manifesto includes enacting a Direct Taxes Code, maintaining stable personal income tax rates, eliminating “Angel tax,” reducing tax burdens on MSMEs, ending “cess” raj, replacing GST laws with GST 2.0, re-designing the GST Council, dividing GST administration, allocating GST revenues to local bodies, providing tax relief to small retail businesses, and making appellate tribunals autonomous.
INDUSTRY
In the industry sector, Congress aims to make India a manufacturing hub, restore a healthy business climate, aim for leadership in various industries, address stalled projects, reform PLI schemes, introduce an employment-linked incentive scheme, prioritise intellectual property rights, create a level playing field, simplify corporate taxation, and support the use of Artificial Intelligence and conventional technology.
INFRASTRUCTURE
For infrastructure, Congress promises to mobilize capital, modernise railway infrastructure, install KAVACH anti-collision devices, improve rural-urban connectivity, implement multi-modal urban public transport, review road toll policies, establish a regulatory regime for ports and airports, promote green energy, and ensure modern scientific methods for natural resource exploration.
FEDARALISM
On the topic of federalism, Congress suggests reviewing legislative field distribution, respecting diversity, limiting Union cess and surcharges, re-designing the Finance Commission’s criteria, granting more powers to urban local bodies’ Mayors, implementing the 73rd and 74th Amendments, enhancing the role of Gram Sabhas, increasing financial assistance to Autonomous District Councils, restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and full statehood to Puducherry, and granting Special Category status to Andhra Pradesh.
RURAL & URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Regarding rural & urban development, Congress has included passing the Right to Homestead Act, increasing MGNREGA wages, launching urban employment programs, supporting twin city construction, enhancing urban governance, and augmenting rural-urban connectivity.
NORTHEASTERN STATES
For the Northeastern states, Rahul Gandhi-led Congress promises infrastructure development, support for border trade, reviving Autonomous District Councils, ensuring fair wages for tea garden workers, addressing the situation in Manipur, and providing compensation to conflict victims.
ENVIRONMENT
On the environment, the grand old party proposes an independent authority for environmental protection, a Green New Deal Investment Programme, strengthening the National Clean Air Programme, protecting coastal zones, increasing forest cover, providing clean cooking fuel, and transitioning to a National Climate Resilience Development Mission.
WATER MANAGEMENT & SANITATION
For water management & sanitation, Congress includes expanding the Ministry of Jal Shakti, implementing nationwide potable water plans, promoting water harvesting, preventing effluent discharge into rivers, and ending manual scavenging.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Congress manifesto on national security promises a comprehensive National Security Strategy, a new Raksha Mantri’s Operational Directive, institutionalising the CDS appointment process, reversing the decline in defence expenditure, scrapping the Agnipath Scheme, expanding opportunities for women in the Armed Forces, bringing the NSC and NSA under parliamentary oversight, evolving policies for modern security challenges, establishing a National Economic Security Board, expanding domestic defence manufacturing, and implementing One Rank One Pension.
INTERNAL SECURITY
For internal security, Congress is pushing for firm action against hate speech, hate crimes, and communal conflicts, opposition to extrajudicial measures, operationalising NATGRID and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, building and equipping state police forces, combating drug trafficking, augmenting and modernizing the CAPF, and filling vacancies in the CAPF.
FOREIGN POLICY
In foreign policy, Congress emphasises continuity, restoring India’s global reputation, strategic autonomy, strengthening multilateral institutions, enhancing foreign trade, opposing terrorism, restoring the status quo ante on borders with China, paying attention to immediate neighbours, conditional engagement with Pakistan, increasing the size of the Indian Foreign Service, and reviving the position of Minister of State for Overseas Indians. Basically all the things the Modi government is already doing except for establishing conditional engagement with Pakistan.
Also read: DMK’s freebie fiesta in Tamil Nadu
