India: Modi promises free exam coaching, AI training for youth after protests

On India's Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to provide free online coaching for competitive exams and AI training to young people. These initiatives were announced in response to youth-led protests that erupted weeks earlier over alleged irregularities in exams and recruitment practices. Speaking at the Red Fort in New Delhi, Modi emphasized that the coaching program would alleviate the financial strain on middle-class families who often rely on expensive coaching classes for their children's education.

Modi's promise of free coaching comes amid a backdrop of recent protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which called for accountability over the exam irregularities. The protests culminated in the resignation of the Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the public's demand for transparency and reform.

In addition to the educational initiatives, Modi announced that the government would train 10 million young people in AI skills within the next year. This move was aimed at addressing the youth's concerns and appeasing them, following their role in pushing the Modi government to face its most significant challenge since assuming power in 2014.

Looking ahead, Modi outlined a seven-point growth and reform framework for India, aiming to transform the nation into a developed country within 20 years. The plan focuses on key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, technology, defense, and sectors like tourism and handicrafts. Modi also touched on the country's ambitious plans to have eight new semiconductor chip plants and five nuclear reactors operational by 2047, which will collectively generate 100 gigawatts of power.

However, Modi's speech also addressed internal challenges, including the Naxal movement. He claimed that his government had successfully defeated the armed Naxal insurgency, which had plagued central and eastern India for nearly six decades, leaving thousands dead and injured. Yet, Modi warned that the fight against the "intellectual Naxals" continued, as these individuals, often found in urban areas, sought to incite violence and unrest. The specifics of who these "intellectual Naxals" were were not provided by Modi during his address.