Cong manifesto for 2024 polls: Mahalakshmi for women, MSP guarantee for farmers, pledge to abolish Agnipath scheme

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) The Congress party launched its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at the party headquarters on Friday, making a slew of promises for diverse sections of society including women, farmers, youths and the elderly.

The caste Census remains one of the biggest highlights of the party's manifesto, reinforcing one of its major poll planks ‘jitni abaadi utna haq’, for which Rahul Gandhi has been galvanising public support.

Other key features of the manifesto include restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and MSP guarantee on crops. The party also promises to scrap the GST law and abolish Agnipath scheme brought in by the Modi government, if voted to power.

Describing its manifesto as ‘Nyay Patra’, the party has also promised “to review and undo anti-people laws” and “help media re-discover its freedom.”

Key highlights of the Congress party's manifesto are as follows:

To conduct nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions

To pass a Constitutional amendment for raising 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBCs

Reservation of 10 per cent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to be implemented for all castes and communities

Enhancing National Social Assistance Programme (for senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities) from existing Rs 200-500 per month to Rs 1,000 per month

Rajasthan Model of cashless insurance up to 25 lakh to be adopted for universal healthcare across the country

To provide one-year apprenticeship to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25, under Right to Apprenticeship Act. Apprentices to get Rs 1 lakh a year.

To provide sports scholarships of Rs 10,000 per month for talented and budding sportspersons below the age of 21

To amend RTE Act to make education compulsory and free, from Class I to Class XII in public schools

Mahalakshmi scheme for women, under which Rs 1 lakh per year will be given to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. Amount to be transferred in the bank account of the oldest woman of the household

To reserve 50 per cent of Central government jobs for women starting in 2025. ‘Same Work, Same Wages’ to be enforced to prevent discrimination in wages for women

A legal guarantee of MSP for crops, as recommended by Swaminathan Commission

To establish farmers’ retail markets in large villages and small towns to enable farmers to bring their produce to sell to consumers.

Fishing communities to be issued credit cards (like Kisan Credit Cards) by banks

Wages under MGNREGA to be increased to Rs 400 per day

Doubling the number of Anganwadi workers and creating an additional 14 lakh jobs

Abolish the Agnipath programme and direct Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) to resume normal recruitment to achieve full sanctioned strength

Lessen the burden of tax on MSMEs owned by individuals and partnership firms

Replace the GST laws enacted by the BJP/NDA government and replace it with GST 2.0

Granting full statehood to Puducherry