Addressing a packed auditorium of over 1,000 students at Himachal Pradesh University today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi emphasised the need for deregulating the higher education sector.

Sharing concerns of students, he said the higher education system in India is crippled by unnecessary regulations and it needs to open up like the telecom and IT sector opened up in 1980s, with Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of bringing technology to everyone. “People with vested interests and political connections are keeping higher education out of reach of many students, who never get a chance to study in good institutions due to the gap between demand and supply,” he said.

In an hour-long discussion, he urged the students to work with him as a team, leaving behind all ideological disagreements. On many occasions during the interactive session, he spontaneously pointed out to some students and teachers in the audience.

Within a few minutes his charm swept the audience, as each time the microphone was passed among audience for questions more than a hundred hands were raised to grab it.

Those who did not get a chance did their bit by ensuring huge applause after each reply. Not only NSUI members, student leaders of SFI and ABVP also applauded him. Many students who could not enter the auditoriums due to shortage of space waited outside and after coming out, Gandhi shook hands with all. An ABVP member said, “Rahul’s appeal to students has signified hope of change for many students.”

Earlier, replying to a question on the need for youths in politics, Gandhi compared BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani by terming the former as young in his thinking despite old age and the latter as comparatively rigid and opposed to new thinking. Rahul also praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “He might be old but has a young mind open to new ideas. He is ready to change his thoughts according to need of the hour.”

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