New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a slew of announcements aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha in his Independence Day address on Saturday, placing young Indians at the centre of the country’s journey towards a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047 while highlighting the opportunities and challenges con fronting them. Among the initiatives announced were free online coaching for competitive examinations, artificial intelligence training for one crore youth, a nationwide sports talent hunt for children and a voluntary civil defence network. Modi also highlighted opportunities for young Indians in manufacturing, space, nuclear energy, semiconductors and emerging technologies, describing them as both the architects and beneficiaries of India's transformation. Announcing that one crore youth would be trained in AI skills within a year, Modi said the government wanted children to develop an interest in technology from an early age and equip young Indians to lead globally in emerging technologies. The free online coaching initiative, he said, would use India's digital public infrastructure and teachers to provide competitive examination preparation nationwide, reducing the financial burden on middle-class families. He also announced a nationwide sports talent hunt for children aged five to 15, with talent to be identified in villages and schools and trained for national and internation al competitions. Modi said another five to eight semiconductor plants were expected to come up over the next seven to eight years. India would also work towards achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, with five new nuclear reactors planned within this decade. Highlighting the expansion of India’s startup ecosystem to 2.5 lakh registered entities over the past decade, he referred to the ₹1-lakh-cr ore research and innovation fund and initiatives such as Skill India, Khelo India, the National Drone Policy, private participation in space and the National Education Policy.
He said the number of universities had risen from fewer than 350 to nearly 1,000 and medical colleges from fewer than 400 to around 850. More than 10,000 At al Tinkering Labs, he said, were helping build an innovation ecosystem among young people.
Alongside these opportunities, the PM flagged challenges ranging from Maoist extremism and drug abuse to national security. Stating that armed Maoist extremism was nearing its end, Modi called for identifying and isolating "dimaagi Naxals", whom he accused of seeking opportunities to create violence and anarchy and mislead young people. He also called for collective action against drug abuse and urged families to participate in the 100-day nationwide Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan. Against the backdrop of changing forms of warfare and threats to critical infrastructure, Modi announced the creation of a modern voluntary civil defence net work.
