‘Yuva’ to ‘naujawan’: The words Modi kept coming back to in his Independence Day speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to young people 52 times during his 75-minute Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Saturday, making youth-related words one of the recurring themes of his address. The emphasis came weeks after protests over the NEET-UG paper leak and education-related demands brought youth concerns into focus.

Modi used "yuva" 20 times, including five references through terms such as "yuva shakti" and "yuva samarthya". He used "naujawanon" 22 times and "saathiyon" 10 times while addressing young people.

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The repeated references came during Modi's 13th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort. Youth featured across sections dealing with education, jobs, technology, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, cyber security, sports and drug addiction.

The speech followed a period of youth mobilisation over the NEET-UG paper leak and demands for changes in the education system, including concerns around coaching.

The 'Sansad Chalo' campaign led by CJP on July 20 saw widespread protests. The agitation ended after the government conceded the protesters' key demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Against this backdrop, Modi announced free online coaching for candidates preparing for competitive examinations.

"Coaching classes burden the poor and the middle class. We will provide free online coaching for various exams," Modi said.

The government plans to use its digital infrastructure and teaching resources to build the online coaching network.

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"And therefore, we have decided to provide free online coaching for various examinations for the youth. We have digital public infrastructure; we have excellent talent and teachers. By bringing these resources together, we are going to build a complete network to provide free coaching to the youth of the country," Modi said.

Modi also announced a plan to train one crore young people in artificial intelligence skills over the next year. He listed manufacturing, space, nuclear energy, semiconductors, start-ups and innovation among areas offering opportunities to young Indians.

Sports was another part of the announcements. The government plans a nationwide talent hunt for children aged five to 15.

"We have decided that in 2036, we should have participation in at least three-fourths of events. We are launching a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to identify prospects in every corner of the country. They will get special training to become world-class athletes," Modi said.

Modi also called for participation in the 100-day nationwide Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan.

"Drug addiction is becoming a very big challenge for the country and its youth. Making India drug-free should be a collective responsibility of all of us," he said.

The Prime Minister separately announced plans to modernise India's civil defence system and spoke about expanding nuclear power capacity.

After the speech, the BJP sought to highlight Modi's interaction with students at the Red Fort, saying there was "a unique bond between Gen Alpha and Prime Minister Modi."

The frequency of youth-related terms, coming after weeks of protests centred on education issues, made young people a prominent focus of this year's Independence Day address.