The Congress on Friday unveiled its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, featuring proposals such as establishing a right to eapprenticship, providing a legal assurance for Minimum Support Price (MSP), and advocating for a constitutional amendment to elevate the 50 percent cap on reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs, among other pledge
The manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra’, was released at the AICC headquarters in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. It focused on five ‘pillars of justice’ and 25 guarantees under them. Congress assured reserve 50 percent of central government jobs for women starting in 2025.
The party promised to fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government. The party also said it would implement 10 per cent quota in jobs, educational institutions for economically weaker sections (EWS) for all castes, communities without discrimination if it comes to power.
The Rajasthan model of cashless insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh will be adopted for universal healthcare, it said. The Congress will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC if it comes to power in the general elections beginning April 19, the party promised.
The Congress also said it would conduct a nationwide socio-economic and caste census. It promises a universal and free healthcare in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps; free healthcare to include examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care.
For women, it announced ‘Mahalakshmi scheme’ to provide Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. Benefactors to be identified among families at bottom of income pyramid. Amount to be directly transferred to bank account of oldest woman in household. Absent a woman, it will be transferred to the account of the oldest member of the family.
