Shri Rahul Gandhi

Shri Rahul Gandhi, Trustee and Member, Executive Committee

Shri Rahul Gandhi is an Indian political leader and Member of Parliament, currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and representing the Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh (elected 2024). He has played a prominent role in contemporary public life through his work in democratic representation, social outreach, policy advocacy and has been actively engaged in debates on economic development, social justice, and institutional accountability.

Rahul Gandhi’s educational journey took him from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi to Harvard University and then to Rollins College, Florida, where he completed his bachelor’s degree. He later earned an M.Phil. in Development Studies from Trinity College, Cambridge. Thereafter, he joined the Monitor Group, a strategy consulting group, in London, where he worked for three years before returning to India and entering politics.

Within parliamentary and organisational roles, he has focused on issues such as rural livelihoods, employment generation, transparency in governance, and strengthening democratic institutions. He has been associated with initiatives aimed at expanding youth participation in politics.   

In 2005, he established the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana under the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and in ten years the programme reached 49 districts of Uttar Pradesh and inducted over 21 lakh women into over 2 lakh self-help groups.  Cumulatively these women received over Rs 4800 crore of bank loans for income generation activities.

He continues to lead the work of the RGCT which in 2026 was running five eye hospitals – in Amethi, Raebareli/Fursatganj, Lucknow, Gurgaon and Sohna.  Cumulatively since inception these hospitals have treated over 54 lakh patients and performed over 5.6 lakh eye surgeries.

Rahul Gandhi led the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022-23, in which he walked from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu to Srinagar, Kashmir and was able to meet lakhs of people who joined him for various stretches.  Its message of fearlessness and love was a transformational influence on India’s masses. A year later he led the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, from Imphal, Manipur to Mumbai, Maharashtra. This yatra was focussed on the issue of social and economic justice.  Since then, he has been playing a leading role in keeping India’s democracy vibrant.

As Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha since Jun 2024, he has been conducting nationwide dialogues addressing agrarian distress, social equity, and economic opportunity. His engagements often emphasise the relationship between democratic institutions and inclusive development, as well as the importance of constitutional values in public policy.