New Delhi: All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with former Presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, unveiled the party’s election manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra’ at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi yesterday.

The manifesto pledges to deliver ‘Paanch Nyay’ or ‘five justices’, encompassing ‘Yuva Nyay’, ‘Naari Nyay’, ‘Kisaan Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’ and ‘Hissedari Nyay’, alongside other commitments to the public.

Key promises include providing an unconditional cash transfer of Rs. 1 lakh annually to every woman from poor Indian families under the ‘Mahalakshmi Scheme’, offering 10 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) across all castes and communities, establishing one Government Community College in every taluk for Class 12 graduates and conducting a nationwide socio-economic and caste census.

Additionally, the Congress party pledges to push for Constitutional amendments to increase the reservation cap to 50 percent for SC, ST and OBC communities and to fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels within the Central Government.

The manifesto also pledges to introduce a new ‘Right to Apprenticeship Act’, ensuring a one-year apprenticeship opportunity for every diploma holder or graduate under the age of 25. Beneficiaries of this initiative will receive Rs. 1 lakh annually.

Furthermore, the party commits to amending Election Laws to combine the efficiency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with the transparency of the traditional ballot paper system.

Voters will cast their votes using EVMs, but they will also have the option to receive a machine-generated voting slip, which they can deposit into the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) unit. This mechanism will allow voters to verify their vote against the electronic tally, enhancing transparency in the electoral process.