Ninety-nine per cent of candidates preparing for examinations belong to poor or middle-class families.

“Ninety-nine per cent of candidates preparing for examinations belong to poor or middle-class families.”Rahul Gandhi, Chhatron Ki Goonj rally, Dehradun, 17 July 2026

Rated False

The facts

1. No official dataset classifies competitive-examination aspirants by a common “poor or middle-class” definition and produces a 99% figure.
2. Educational capacity has expanded substantially: IIT student strength doubled from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh, with infrastructure approved for another 6,500 students.73
3. Medical opportunities widened sharply: MBBS seats increased from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,28,976, while postgraduate seats rose from 31,185 to 86,360 by AY2025–26.74
4. Wider capacity has enabled more students—including poor and middle-class aspirants—to compete. SC, ST and OBC higher-education enrolment increased 51.4%, 75.7% and 60.2%, respectively, since 2014–15.75

Sources

• 73pib.gov.in
• 74pib.gov.in
• 75pib.gov.in

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