Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh plans to reach out to the state’s Gen Z through young civil servants, with IAS, IPS and IFS officers set to visit schools in their districts every month to interact with students and guide them on career and life choices.
According to the government, these officers will visit at least one intermediate level school in their respective districts every month and hold direct interactions with students. They will discuss career options, competitive examinations, higher education and ways to deal with challenges in life.
The initiative comes amid growing discussions around the role of Gen Z in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar that led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The UP government, it is learnt, sees the programme as an effort to strengthen engagement with students and encourage positive thinking and constructive pursuits. To that extent, Chief Secretary S.P. Goyal has directed all district magistrates to implement the programme. Additional Chief Secretary (Basic and Secondary Education) Parth Sarathi Sen Sharma, too, has also asked district magistrates to ensure that these interactions are conducted regularly.
During the sessions, the civil servants will directly engage with students and address their questions through question-and-answer sessions.
Speaking to ThePrint, Parth Sarathi Sen Sharma said the department had been asked to take forward the chief secretary’s directive. “The word Gen Z has not been used in the order, but the programme is specifically meant for students,” he said.
A senior government official added that students would be encouraged to openly raise questions about career choices, academics, preparation for competitive examinations and their future plans. The interactions would give students an opportunity to understand the realities of various career options, including the civil services, through the experiences of serving civil servants.
The sessions will also cover topics such as setting life goals, effective study methods, time management and self-discipline. Visiting officers will also provide guidance on competitive examinations including the UPSC, UPPSC, UPSSSC, SSC, NDA, IIT-JEE, NEET and CUET. Further, students will also be introduced to options in higher and technical education, vocational education, startups, government schemes, financial literacy and business management.
The government has also directed that issues such as cyber security, de-addiction, stress management and building self-confidence be included in the interactions.
Drawing on their own experiences, the civil servants will encourage students to deal with pressure and failure and remain focused on their goals.
District magistrates, it is learnt, will prepare a monthly calendar of such programmes and ensure active participation by young officers. By the fifth of every month, the secondary education department will receive a report on programmes held during the previous month. The report will include the name of the school, the participating officer, topics discussed and suggestions made by students.
A functionary posted in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) told ThePrint on condition of anonymity that the government was aware of the influence and potential of Gen Z and did not want young people to be distracted.
“The government understands the strength of Gen Z and does not want them to be distracted in any way. If they are given the right direction from the beginning, it will be better. Who can guide them better than bureaucrats? Students will learn from their experiences, while the officers will also get an understanding of what today’s Gen Z want,” the official said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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