Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for Union ministers to become more active on Instagram was followed by a broad rise in ministerial activity. The request was made at the Cabinet meeting on 24 July 2026, with ministers asked to create reels and communicate with young people.
By 24 August, 28 of the 29 Union Cabinet ministers had increased their Instagram activity. JD(U)’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh was identified as the only minister whose activity had not risen.
Shah records the biggest follower increase
Home Minister Amit Shah saw the largest growth in followers during the month, adding 8.53 lakh. Across the Cabinet, ministers published 1,179 s, representing a 48% increase compared with the preceding month.
The ministers have also placed greater emphasis on reels. Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Prahlad Joshi stressed using short videos to explain policies and important issues.
Government plans direct engagement with students
The government is preparing a “1 Day, 1 University” programme aimed at connecting ministers directly with young people. Under the plan discussed at the 19 August Cabinet meeting, a Union minister would visit a designated university each day.
During these visits, ministers would speak with students about their concerns, hear their views on issues affecting the country and share information about government schemes focused particularly on young people and students. The complete schedule for the visits has not yet been released.
According to PTI sources, the programme is intended to establish direct contact with Gen Z. Education Minister Prahlad Joshi and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya were given responsibility for coordinating with universities and the ministers assigned to the visits, according to the same account.
The Cabinet meeting also considered the reach of ministers’ social-media s. Ministers were urged to make greater efforts to ensure that government messages reach young audiences.
Modi’s earlier social-media outreach
Modi had previously released several social-media videos during protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak. In those videos, he addressed Gen Z on the paper-leak issue. In 1 video, he said he was willing to forgive students who had abused him during the demonstrations.
The wider push for youth engagement comes alongside comments by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who held a 1-hour interaction with Gen Z and Gen Alpha in Mumbai on Thursday. Bhagwat said the younger generations were more honest and patriotic than older generations and argued that their views needed to be understood. He also said that a lack of communication with them had contributed to the movement.
