Congress’ Nyay Patra vs BJP’s Sankalp Patra: Here's what's on the cards

With both the Congress and the BJP releasing their manifestos and making public their vision for the country, the stage is set for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, starting with the first phase of polling on April 19 (Friday).

The Congress came out with its manifesto on April 5 with key promises like right to apprenticeship, a legal guarantee for MSP, and passing a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs. The manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra’, focused on ‘Paanch Nyay’ (five “pillars of justice”) and 25 guarantees under them. Under each of the 5 categories – Hissedari Nyay, Naari Nyay, Yuva Nyay, Kisaan Nyay, Shramik Nyay – the party listed 5 guarantees each.

The BJP released its manifesto, ‘Sankalp Patra’, on Sunday (April 14) targeting women, the poor, youth and farmers in the country. Some of the key promises by the BJP include: bringing in a Uniform Civil Code (UCC); facilitating the Indian Olympic Association to bid for hosting the Olympic Games in 2036; implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA); making One Nation, One Election a reality; and implementing a law against paper leaks.

The Federal takes you through a comparative account of the manifestos of both the major political parties in some of the key areas like social justice, health and education, as well as for various cross-sections of society like women and youth.

Social justice

In its ‘Nyay Patra’, the Congress announced that it will conduct a nation-wide socio-economic and caste census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.

The grand old party has also promised to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC. “The reservation of 10 per cent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be implemented for all castes and communities without discrimination.” The manifesto also talks about filling all the backlog vacancies in posts reserved for SC, ST and OBC within a period of one year.

The BJP said it's committed to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and adequate participation of all sections in their journey to Viksit Bharat.

The party said they will establish a district-level committee to ensure that welfare schemes reach the lowest level. “We will ensure adequate representation for SC, ST and OBCs in this committee.” The party also promised accessible credit facilities to eligible individuals to enable them to access livelihood opportunities through the PM Suraj portal. For education of tribal children, the party has set a target of establishing 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools. We will expedite the construction and operationalization of the remaining schools.

The BJP also promised to expand livelihood opportunities for all, including OBCs, SCs and STs, through measures like doubling the MUDRA loan limit to Rs 20 lakh. “We will ensure that no student of the OBC, SC and ST families are deprived of higher education due to affordability by expanding existing scholarships for meritorious students,” said the party.

Poverty alleviation

The Congress resolved to launch a 'Mahalaxmi Scheme' to provide Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer.

The poor will be identified among the families in the bottom of the income pyramid. The amount will be directly transferred to the bank account of the oldest woman of the household.

The BJP has promised free ration to over 80 crore citizens for another five years under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

It also promised free health treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh for poor families. Further, it has promised to expand the PM Awas Yojana to ensure every poor household has access to quality housing.

Safe drinking water for all households in villages and towns, and expansion of free electricity and LPG schemes were among the other features of the manifesto.

Health

The Congress promised that the Rajasthan model of cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakhs will be adopted for universal healthcare.

The party said 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. Budget allocation for health will be gradually increased every year to achieve 4 per cent of total expenditure by 2028-29, said the Congress.

On the other hand, the BJP said they have established 15 AIIMS in the past decade to provide affordable and quality healthcare for all, adding they will strengthen the AIIMS network to provide quality healthcare across the country.

Through the increased number of AIIMS and various medical colleges, they will increase the number of UG and PG seats in medical education. The BJP said they will further strengthen the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and upgrade district hospitals and other secondary healthcare centres by expanding the full functionality of all packages for comprehensive healthcare.

Education

The Congress promised that they will amend the RTE Act to make education from Class 1 to 12 in public schools compulsory and free.

The party also said they will revisit and amend the New Education Policy (NEP) in consultation with the state governments while mentioning that education is a concurrent subject and the rights of states to formulate an education policy must be respected.

The Congress said they will restore the autonomy of colleges and universities. “Higher educational institutions will have academic freedom and will be encouraged to experiment, innovate and promote research. We will protect and preserve students’ freedom of speech and expression and the right to have elected student unions,” it said.

The BJP said they have set up 7 IITs, 16 IIITs, 7 IIMs, 15 AIIMS, 315 medical colleges and 390 universities in the past decade and they are committed to strengthening these institutes, besides further increasing the number of institutions of higher learning.

The party said it will continue to upgrade the existing institutions through focused funding, capacity building, infrastructure upgradation and dedicated research grants.

In another initiative, the BJP announced that it will achieve 100% implementation of 'One Nation, One Student ID’ through the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) to store academic qualifications, credit scores and certificates, among others for students from pre-primary to higher education. The party said it will work towards a 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio from pre-school to secondary level.

Sports

The Congress said it will initiate measures to ensure that the constitution of each sports body is in accordance with certain norms and principles, and that elections are held according to the constitution of that body and the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee. It will also ensure that there is adequate representation in each sports body for active players, former players and women.

The Congress will enact a separate legislation for the registration of sports federations/ bodies which will ensure full compliance with the Olympic Charter, allow for autonomy and full accountability, and provide recourse for members and sportspersons against discrimination, bias, sexual harassment, abuse, wrongful termination, etc. The party also promised to extend sports scholarships of Rs 10,000 per month to talented and budding sportspersons below the age of 21.

The BJP said it will facilitate IOA to bid for hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, and develop sports infrastructure like stadiums and state-of-the-art training centres to host major international sporting events.

The party said it will launch a new programme for sportspersons, providing them with benefits like educational opportunities, employment opportunities and promotion opportunities. “We will continue to expand the Khelo India network and other initiatives to nurture future athletes who can represent our nation with pride. We will include more traditional sports under the Khelo India Scheme,” said the party.

Women

The Congress' key poll promise for women is the Mahalaksmi Scheme.

This apart, the party has promised to reserve 50 per cent of Central government jobs for women starting in 2025. “We will ensure that the principle of ‘same work, same wages’ is enforced in order to prevent discrimination in wages for women,” it said.

The BJP said it will empower three crore rural women to become Lakhpati Didis. “We will empower women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with the skills and tools in key service sectors like IT, healthcare, education, retail and tourism with an aim to increase their income.”

The party said it will ensure the development of infrastructure such as working women’s hostels, creches etc. with the specific focus on locations near industrial and commercial centres to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce.

It further said it has enacted the long-awaited Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, or Women's Reservation Bill, and will now systematically implement this to ensure representation for women in the Parliament and state legislatures. “We have established Shakti Desks (Women Help Desks) in police stations. We will further ensure their expansion for timely investigation and resolution of issues,” it said.

Youth

Unveiling its Yuva Nyay Programme, the Congress promised a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will get Rs 1 lakh a year. The apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability and provide full-time job opportunities to millions of youth.

The party also promised to fill nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government. “We will stipulate that vacancies in the panchayats and municipal bodies shall be filled according to a timetable agreed with state governments.”

The party said it will provide fast-track courts to adjudicate cases of question paper leaks for recruitment exams and provide monetary compensation to the victims. “We will abolish application fees for government examinations and government posts,” it said.

The BJP said it has already enacted a strict law to stop misconduct in recruitment exams across the country and will strictly implement it now to ensure stringent punishment to those playing with the future of youth. Without mentioning the number of posts, the party said they will continue to fill the government vacancies in a time bound and transparent manner.

The BJP also promised to expand the existing Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and Startup Credit Guarantee Scheme to ensure adequate funds for start-ups. The party also talked about working towards making India a global manufacturing hub and enhance employment in this crucial sector, besides promising investment in infrastructure that has created a large number of employment opportunities.

Farmers

The Congress promised a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.

The party said the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) will be made a statutory body. “MSP payable to the farmer-seller at the procurement centres and APMCs will be directly credited digitally to the bank account of the farmer.”

The party said it will appoint a Permanent Commission on Agricultural Finance that will report periodically on the extent of agricultural credit and the need for loan forbearance. “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 said.

The BJP said it is providing annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000 under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and is committed to sustained financial support for the farmers.

“We will further strengthen the PM Fasal Bima Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution,” it said. On the issue of MSP, the BJP merely it has ensured unprecedented increase in MSP for major crops, and will continue to increase MSP from time to time.

It may be noted that legal guarantee for MSP is a key demand of farmers who have held protests over the past five years.

Senior citizens

The Congress promised to increase pensions for senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities under the National Social Assistance Programme to Rs 1,000 per month.

The party said it will review the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, remove the deficiencies and enforce the Act. “We will restore travel concessions in public transport (rail and road) for senior citizens,” it said.

The BJP said it will expand the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to cover senior citizens and provide them access to free and quality healthcare. “We will ensure seamless access to social security benefits and other essential government services to senior citizens by leveraging the extensive reach and reliability of the postal and digital network,” it said.

The party said itwill organise regular Ayush camps to provide holistic healthcare solutions rooted in Ayurveda, Yoga and other traditional practices to promote active living and vitality of elders.