Government courts Gen Z, Alpha with social media, campus outreach

New Delhi: In a calibrated outreach to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the Narendra Modi government has adopted a twin-track strategy: sharpening digital communication of ministers while expanding their direct engagement with students through universities and schools.

As part of the exercise, Union ministers were given detailed social media report cards during Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, assessing their performance between May 1 and August 15 - a period that coincided with the NEET protests and heightened youth engagement on social media.

According to sources, the assessment covered ministers' performance across LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook, measuring parameters such as average daily posts, total engagement and average engagement per post, total and average likes, follower base and overall interaction generated. The exercise was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of digital outreach of the ministers rather than merely their follower count.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi topped the overall rankings in the report card. Among the highest-performing Union ministers were Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and CR Paatil, while a few ministers from NDA allies were assessed as needing to strengthen their digital engagement. Separate rankings were also prepared across the political spectrum, with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath featuring among the top performers, alongside Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay.

The review extends beyond social media. Modi also asked ministers to visit government schools in their respective districts and interact with students, a move seen as significant amid reports from some states of Gen Alpha students protesting over inadequate infrastructure and facilities. Ministers have also been advised to increase meaningful online engagement and respond more actively to public concerns.

University Visits

The digital audit will be complemented by a nationwide university outreach programme, under which Union ministers will spend a day at universities interacting with students, listening to their concerns and explaining government initiatives for youth. Education minister Pralhad Joshi and youth affairs minister Mansukh Mandaviya are learnt to be coordinating the initiative.

The outreach comes against the backdrop of the NEET protests that dominated the Monsoon Session of Parliament. It also builds on an earlier internal exercise in which newly elected MPs and recent NDA entrants, including legislators from the Trinamool rebel faction and Shiv Sena, were given performance report cards to sharpen public communication and organisational outreach.