India's Modi woos youth with free coaching, AI training

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Saturday that his government will offer free online coaching for competitive exams and train one crore (10 million) youth in AI skills.

He made the announcement from Delhi's Red Fort on India's Independence Day, weeks after youth-led protests forced the education minister to resign.

What did Modi announce for India's youth on Independence Day?

Modi announced free online coaching for competitive exams and AI skills training for one crore young Indians over the next year. He said the measures would ease the financial burden on families competing in India's high-pressure education system. The announcement came during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort in New Delhi.

Why did Modi announce free coaching for students?

Modi said the coaching initiative would reduce the strain of India's fiercely competitive education system on poor and middle-class families. "We have decided to provide free online coaching for various competitive examinations for our youth. We have the digital public infrastructure, and we have highly talented teachers and educators," he said.

The announcement follows nationwide protests triggered by the leak of a key medical entrance exam paper and a string of other recruitment scandals. Those protests led to the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month. They exposed deep frustration among young Indians over access to jobs and educational opportunities.

Admission to government-run colleges remains one of the most sought-after paths to economic security in India, the world's most populous nation. The intense competition has fuelled a large coaching industry, where students spend years preparing at significant cost to their families. Modi said the new online classes would let students "stay close to their families" while easing financial pressure.

How will Modi's AI training program work?

Modi said his government would train one crore young Indians in AI skills over the next year. "We have decided in the next one year, one crore youth will be given training in AI skills," he said. Details on the programme's rollout, funding, and specific skills covered were not disclosed in the speech.

Since the protests, authorities have moved to address youth grievances, including hiking parliamentary penalties for leaking exam papers. Critics have called the unrest one of the biggest challenges to Modi's government since it took power in 2014.

What else did Modi announce for India's growth?

Modi also laid out a seven-point growth and reform framework aimed at helping India become a developed country within 20 years. The plan focuses on manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and defence, alongside India's "soft power" through yoga, tourism, and handicrafts. He said India must establish itself as a trusted global supply chain partner in manufacturing.

Modi said India will add eight semiconductor chip plants and five nuclear reactors in the coming years, generating 100 gigawatts of power by 2047. The government allowed private firms to build and operate atomic power projects last year as part of a push toward alternative energy. Modi said young people stand to benefit most from this vision, calling them "the greatest beneficiary of a developed India."