New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi uttered the words ‘youth’ 25 times, ‘employment/job’ 15 times and ‘skill/skilled’ 17 times in his Independence Day, summing up the focus of his governance after he assumed office for a third term with a reduced mandate this year.
From the creation of 75,000 additional seats in medical colleges to bringing one lakh youth from non-political families into “political life as public representatives”, his 98-minute speech was centred on the youth, their skilling, new opportunities and the reforms his government have carried out to lay the road for them.
“People waited for reforms, we got an opportunity, and we implemented major reforms. Our commitment to reform is not restricted to editorials; our reforms are not for small praise it is for making the country strong. This has resulted in the rise in self-confidence. There are now many avenues open for our youngsters. The youth now do not want to walk slowly, they want to jump to achieve new things, and they want to take giant leaps. This is a golden era for India,” Modi said Thursday in his speech.
The PM also announced plans to add 75,000 new medical seats in the next five years to enhance the country’s medical education capacity and to address the growing demand for healthcare professionals.
This announcement also assumes significance in the backdrop of the NEET controversy where the youth expressed concern over the system. The episode had also emphasised the issue of shortage of medical seats.
“The first signs of disenchantment of youth with BJP in a way started much before 2024 elections, and some public opinion polls in 2021-22 had noted this trend. I think the budget as well as the Independence Day speech shows that the government has perhaps taken a lesson from the 2024 setback; that the economic anxiety is pushing away the younger voters who were the bedrock of the BJP in 2014 and 2019,” Rahul Verma, fellow at the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research (CPR), told ThePrint.
He added when it comes to street level mobilisation and agitations, the youth is always at the forefront. “With what all has happened in the last few months, whether it is the paper leak, exams being postponed, drowning of UPSC aspirants… So, perhaps, the PM wanted to give a message that the government is not blind to disenchantment among the youth, etc. It can be seen as a reach out effort but unless things happen in concrete ways, this is not going to help.”
In 2024, the opposition had made unemployment one of its central poll planks. The BJP ended up in a minority in the Lok Sabha losing 63 seats from its 2019 tally of 303.
A post-poll survey of the 2024 Lok Sabha election by the CSDS-Lokniti had highlighted how the BJP’s youth support saw a slight decline. In 2019, 40 percent of young voters supported the BJP. This came down slightly this year, decreasing by one percentage point among those under 25 and two percentage points among those aged 26-35.
Similarly, Sanjay Kumar from the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) said that the opposition has been highlighting unemployment for the last five years and that the government was jolted in the elections.
“…and perhaps what the PM has outlined today is in a way a forward planning whether it is in terms of indirectly addressing the issue of unemployment. I would say that this is in a way a detailed message, a blueprint of the government, as to what they intend to do. The fact that the message is being delivered from the ramparts of the Red Fort is significant as it highlights that the government is serious, it sends out a message that the government is committed to look after the needs of the youth,” Kumar told ThePrint.
Emphasis on ‘fresh blood’ lauded
For the experts, one of the most crucial aspects of Modi’s speech vis-a-vis youth is the emphasis on involvement of youth in politics, especially the infusion of ‘fresh’ blood.
The PM laid emphasis on the fact that India’s democracy is being undermined by the ills of ‘Parivarvaad’ (nepotism) and ‘Jaativaad’ (casteism).
“It is essential to free our political landscape from the grip of dynastic rule. Our mission is to empower a new generation of leaders – 1 lakh young individuals who don’t have any political legacy in their families. We want to see young people without any family connections in politics to step forward, lead and represent the people,” he said, pointing out that the youth will help change the definition of politics in the times to come and will help overcome dynastic politics in the country.
“Youth is already part of his agenda as it is visible in the four categories that he has often spoken about. In the previous Independence Day speeches too he has focused on youth. But the emphasis on getting youth who have no political connection in politics is a transformative statement and this will have an impact on the party too,’ author and social commentator Badri Narayan told ThePrint.
“This will have a huge impact on youth who are political aspirants so to say and they are unable to enter the political arena because they don’t have any influence. If we talk about the political discourse, then youth and jobs are something that is often talked about, but youth and politics in the real sense..as policy makers..change makers has been missing and which is why the entire political discourse has also become monotonous. The move will connect youth to politics and will help usher in new ideas,” he added.
Many within the BJP also believe that one of the prime reasons for its tally coming down substantially in Uttar Pradesh, is its failure to appease the youth.
In his speech, the PM also emphasised on creating a “developed education system so that nobody has to go overseas spending crores of rupees”.
“We want to create a system in which people from across the globe come to India to pursue studies,” he said, stressing on skill being a vital area and focussing on how the government is working towards ensuring India become the ‘skill capital of the world’. “This programme also emphasises internships to provide young people with practical experience and marketability.”
Modi also spoke about a vision for India’s skilled manpower to play a prominent role in the global job market. “India will become the skill capital. Indian universities should attain global prominence,” he said. The PM said the “skilled youth” in the country will become “the first choice in the world.”
In July, the Modi government had allocated Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment, and skilling in the Union Budget .
The PM also laid stress on encouraging talent to develop games online. “Our youth, our IT professionals should lead India in becoming the game capital — not as consumers, but creators,” he said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: How PM Modi’s Independence Day speech was his most bitter attack on Opposition in 11 years and why
First better education and skilling. Then decent, adequate job opportunities. Hard to think of any third thing that would appeal to the youth of any developing country.