New Delhi: The Modi government is preparing to roll out a nationwide youth outreach programme under which a Union minister will visit one university every day to interact directly with students, understand their concerns and gauge their views on issues affecting the country, sources familiar with the plan told news agency PTI.
The initiative, called ‘One Day, One University’, is aimed at strengthening the government’s engagement with Gen Z and comes against the backdrop of recent student protests over the NEET paper leak issue, which saw demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and in several other parts of the country.
Under the programme, a minister assigned to a particular university will hold discussions with students, listen to their perspectives on a range of subjects, and explain various government welfare schemes, particularly those designed for students and young people, according to the sources.
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya have reportedly been given the responsibility of coordinating the initiative, working with both universities and the Union ministers who will take part in the visits.
The plan was also discussed at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, the sources said.
The proposed university visits are intended to add a direct, face-to-face element to the government’s youth outreach efforts, offering students a platform to raise concerns about examinations, education, employment, skills, welfare schemes and other pressing issues directly with members of the Union government at their own campuses.
The move is expected to take the government’s engagement with young people beyond formal policy announcements and press statements, creating space for more personal conversations on campuses across the country.
The outreach initiative follows a series of youth-focused announcements made by Prime Minister Modi during his Independence Day address, where he unveiled measures including free online coaching, an artificial intelligence skilling programme, a nationwide sports talent hunt, and an expansion of civil defence initiatives. Modi had also spoken about emerging opportunities for young people in manufacturing, space, nuclear energy and semiconductors.
With student unrest over examination-related issues continuing to simmer in parts of the country, the ‘One Day, One University’ campaign is being seen as an attempt by the government to open a direct channel of communication with the student community and address grievances before they escalate further.
Further details regarding the schedule of visits, the list of participating ministers and the universities to be covered under the programme are expected to be announced in the coming days.