Owe It to Them: Sonia Asks PM for Free Education for Orphaned Kids

Gandhi said, “These children are left with the trauma of loss and no support towards a stable education or future.”

Sonia Gandhi and Narendra Modi.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Congress President Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 20 May, asking him to consider providing free education at Navodaya Vidyalayas, to children orphaned during the pandemic.

Lamenting the devastation caused by the pandemic, Gandhi said, “News of young children losing one or both parents to COVID-19 are the most poignant. These children are left with the trauma of loss and no support towards a stable education or future.”

Referring to the network of Navodaya Vidyalayas in the country started by Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress president said, “It was his dream to make high-quality modern education accessible and affordable to talented youth, predominantly from rural areas.”

Pointing out that there are 661 such schools across the country, Gandhi asked PM Modi to consider providing free education at the Navodaya Vidyalayas to children who have lost either both parents or an earning parent due to COVID.

Gandhi concluded her letter saying, “I feel that as a nation, we owe it to them to give them hope for a robust future after an unimaginable tragedy that has befallen them.”

Rahul Gandhi shared the letter in a tweet saying, “It's high time Government of India listened!”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced on 18 May that children who have been orphaned due to COVID-19 will be given Rs 2,500 monthly pension till they attain the age of 25 and that their education will be free.