Wanted: A suitable candidate for the Youth Congress. Applicants should be below 35 and have passed the secondary exams. Selected candidates will get a chance to work with Rahul Gandhi to build a ‘youthful’ Congress party.
If you think bagging this job is going to be easy, get prepared for a surprise. Not only will you need to answer some really tough questions, those who get past the interviews might have to work in rural areas!
As part of his ongoing program to induct young blood (especially those without a political lineage) into politics, Rahul Gandhi has begun his “talent hunt” for the Youth Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Aspirants have to give in-depth interviews on national and international issues apart from answering routine questions on their expectations and ambitions.
Candidates could expect questions like ‘What is the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)? What is the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and how is it implemented? How to better implement government schemes ? What are the benefits of the Indo-US nuclear deal for India?
“Once suitable candidates are selected, they would be assigned various tasks, a majority of which would involve working on health and literacy and monitoring NREGA,” said a Youth Congress leader privy to the selection process. Rahul is also expected to interview some applicants.The chosen ones would participate in an extensive training programme that would culminate in a formal orientation.
Rahul has instructed his aides — AICC secretaries Jitendra Singh and Meenakshi Natrajan and Youth Congress national president Ashok Tanwar — to give preference to educated youth who do not have a political background but wish to join the Congress.
A revamp of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) is also on the cards. In fact, screening for NSUI candidates is expected to be more intense and would include a written test, group discussion and personal interview.
