Rahul for turning India into an educational hub

Heard with rapt attention by members of both ruling and opposition parties in the House where Sonia was present and watched by his sister Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra in the visitors' gallery, Rahul stressed the need for a complete policy reorientation of the education system to ensure the poor get opportunity to tap the benefits of education.

During his 15-minute speech with the help of a prepared text, Rahul, in early thirties, said India should have an education system that "must allow all young Indians to dream and must teach them the skills to turn those dreams into reality".

Prefacing his speech, which came during a debate on the budgetary allocation for education, with the remarks that "I'm new to politics and still have a lot to learn", he said "but if there is one thing I have learnt it is that people who are closer to a problem understand it best".