India’s Modi woos youth with free coaching, AI training after Gen Z protests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged on Saturday to offer free online coaching for competitive exams to the youth, following massive protests led by young people that compelled the education minister to resign. The 75-year-old leader made the announcement from the historic 17th century Red Fort in New Delhi, commemorating the country's independence from Britain in 1947.

The free coaching initiative aims to alleviate the financial strain on millions of families grappling with India's fiercely competitive education system.

The move follows nationwide protests sparked by the exposure of a leaked medical entrance examination paper and a series of recruitment scandals, which ultimately led to the resignation of the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month. These protests exposed deep frustration among young Indians over job and educational opportunities, as well as the immense pressures faced by students, the world's most populous nation, where admission to government-run colleges is highly coveted for economic security.

The cutthroat competition in coaching classes has become an overwhelming burden for middle-class families, with students often spending years preparing at great financial cost.

Modi also unveiled plans to train ten million young people in artificial intelligence skills within the next year. He emphasized that this initiative would ease the financial burden on poor and middle-class families, allowing students to remain close to their families while receiving necessary support. The prime minister's speech, spanning over an hour, also reiterated his government's commitment to transforming India into a developed nation within the next 20 years.

The seven-point growth and reform framework will focus on manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and defence, as well as leveraging India's "soft power" through yoga, tourism, and handicrafts.