Modi Govt Plans ‘One Day, One University’ Outreach for GenZ

New Delhi:In a major outreach to Gen Z, the Modi government is planning to send one Union minister to one university every day to engage with young people, discuss their concerns and better understand their perspectives on issues facing the country. The proposed initiative also figured at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, sources said.

Under the proposed ‘One Day, One University’ programme, a Union minister will visit an assigned university to interact with students, hear their views on various issues and inform them about government welfare schemes, particularly those aimed at youth and students.

Education minister Pralhad Joshi and youth affairs and sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya have been given the responsibility of coordinating with universities and ministers for the visits.

The initiative comes weeks after Modi urged his ministerial colleagues to strengthen their presence on Instagram and use reels and other social media formats to establish a greater connect with youngsters.

The Cabinet on Wednesday also reviewed the social media presence and reach of Union ministers, sources said. The government's increased focus on engaging Gen Z comes in the wake of protests by students at Jantar Mantar against the NEET paper leak and other issues concerning the education sector.

Sources said the social media performance of Cabinet ministers was shared at the meeting, with Modi leading the rankings.

The reach of ministers' social media posts also came up for discussion, with emphasis on expanding their audience, particularly among young people and Gen Z.

Modi himself has reached out to students through social media, particularly Instagram, on several occasions following the recent protests over the NEET paper leak in Delhi and other parts of the country.

At a Cabinet meeting in the last week of July, the Prime Minister had advised Union ministers to increase their social media engagement, with a particular focus on Instagram.

The government's youth outreach also featured prominently in Modi's Independence Day address, in which he announced initiatives including free online coaching, an AI skilling programme, a sports talent hunt and expansion of the civil defence network.

He also highlighted opportunities for young people in sectors including manufacturing, space, nuclear energy and semiconductors.