PM Modi Announces AI Skill Training for One Crore Youth in Independence Day Address
NTT Desk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that the government will train more than one crore youth in artificial intelligence skills over the next year, as part of measures aimed at preparing young Indians for emerging technologies.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, Modi said the initiative would equip India’s youth to lead in the AI era. He placed the announcement within a broader focus on technology and innovation as one of seven key streams of national development under the “Saptadhara” framework.
“In the coming one year, we will work to provide AI skill training to one crore youth, so that India’s youth can lead in the AI era,” the Prime Minister said.
Alongside the AI skilling drive, Modi announced free online coaching for various competitive examinations. He noted that the financial burden of private coaching centres had become significant for many middle-class and poorer families, and said the government would leverage existing digital public infrastructure and teaching resources to create a nationwide free coaching network.
The announcements came weeks after a wave of youth-led protests organised under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The movement, which began over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in competitive exams including NEET, drew large numbers of students and young people to demonstrations in Delhi and other cities. It also highlighted broader concerns around employment opportunities and the education system, eventually contributing to the resignation of the then Union Education Minister.
Modi’s Independence Day speech repeatedly underlined the central role of youth in the goal of a developed India by 2047. He linked the AI training and free coaching measures to ongoing schemes such as Digital India, Skill India and the New Education Policy, and noted that an innovation fund exceeding ₹1 lakh crore had already been allocated.
Other youth related points in the address included a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5–15 years to expand India’s participation in Olympic categories by 2036, and a call for young people to participate in self-census enumeration.
The speech marked Modi’s 13th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort. Officials indicated further details on the implementation of the AI skilling programme and free coaching network would be shared in the coming weeks.
