Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his Independence Day address on Saturday, shortly after significant student-led protests erupted across the country. The demonstrations called for reforms in competitive exams and demanded the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. These protests were ignited by the NEET-UG paper leak, which has drawn widespread outrage and raised questions about accountability in the education sector.
The timing of the announcements was notable. “Coaching classes burden the poor and the middle class. The prime minister urged families to carefully verify their details, including names and spellings, before submitting their information.
The Prime Minister also highlighted a ₹ 1 lakh crore mechanism aimed at supporting innovation and capabilities among young people.
“We want the Prime Minister’s speech to be for Gen Z and the youth,” Dipke had said. “We have created a mechanism with ₹ 1 lakh crore to strengthen your ideas, innovation and capabilities,” Modi said. One of the biggest announcements aimed at students was free online coaching for competitive examinations, a move Modi said would reduce the financial pressure on families. We will provide free online coaching for various exams,” Modi said. He said technology would allow people to provide Census information through their mobile phones, which could then be verified by officials.
Earlier, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, who led protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, had urged Modi to dedicate his Independence Day speech to Gen Z and explain what the government was doing for their future.
