 "From jobs to MSP, what has changed in Congress' manifesto from 2019")
The Congress party unveiled its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Friday at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi.
Titled 'Nyay Patra', the manifesto emphasises on 'Paanch Nyay' or five pillars of justice, comprising 'Yuva Nyay', 'Naari Nyay', 'Kisaan Nyay', 'Shramik Nyay', and 'Hissedari Nyay'.
The manifesto pledged to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to assess caste and sub-caste demographics along with their socio-economic status. Furthermore, the party vowed to pursue a constitutional amendment to lift the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST, and OBC communities.
Here's a look at what promises have been kept and what has changed from 2019 to 2024:
Job employment
In its manifesto for the 2024 elections, the Congress has promised to fill the nearly 3 million vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government, teaching and non-teaching posts in central educational institutions, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other supporting staff posts in central government medical institutions, and vacancies in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
The party has also guaranteed a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one-year apprenticeship with a private or public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will earn Rs 1 lakh a year.
In its manifesto during the 2019 elections, Congress pledged to make jobs their number one priority, both in the public and private sectors. The party had promised 3.4 million jobs in the public sector if elected to power by filling all 400,000 central government vacancies before March 2020, persuading the state governments to fill their 2 million vacancies and creating an estimated 1 million new Seva Mitra positions in every gram panchayat and urban local body.
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On farmers and MSP
In its last bunch of poll promises for farmers, the Congress had promised to put the farmers "on the path from "Karz Maafi" (loan waiver), to "Karz Mukti" (loan-free)". The manifesto also promised to present a separate "Kisan Budget" every year. "We will also establish a permanent National Commission on Agricultural Development and Planning," says the poll document of the Congress.
Following suit, this time, the party has promised to give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. Further, it said that the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) will be made a statutory body. Crop insurance will be made farm—and farmer-specific. Premium will be charged from the farmer according to the sum insured, and all claims will be settled within 30 days, it added.
Universal healthcare
Like last time, the Congress has stuck to its promise of free universal healthcare. "We promise that healthcare will be universal and free in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps. Free healthcare will include examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care," the manifesto read.
Last time the party had promised to double the healthcare expenditure to 3 per cent of GDP by 2023-24. This time, the Congress has promised that budget allocation for health will be increased step by step every year to achieve 4 per cent of total expenditure by 2028-29.
Increasing defence expenditure
Sticking to the position of increasing defence spending from its last manifesto, the Congress has promised to expedite all modernisation programmes of the Armed Forces in a transparent manner. Further, the party promised that it would scrap the Agnipath Scheme and return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force that will guarantee economic and social security for our soldiers.
Women empowerment
While the last manifesto promised to legislate the Women's Reservation Bill providing for 33 per cent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha, with the NDA government passing the bill in 2023, the Congress had to come up with new promises this time.
The national party has promised to reserve 50 per cent of central government jobs for women starting in 2025. They also announced that Congress will ensure that more women are appointed to high positions such as judges, secretaries to government, high-ranking police officers, law officers, and directors on the boards of listed companies.
Restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir
While the party had proposed to reduce the presence of the Indian Army and central armed police forces (CAPFs) in the Kashmir valley in its previous manifesto, they have promised to immediately restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. "We will amend the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to include the tribal areas of Ladakh," it said.