PM asks Ministers to get going on Instagram after raging students’ protest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged his Cabinet ministers to increase their engagement with youth on Instagram following widespread protests over NEET exam paper leaks. The government is also fast-tracking legislative reforms to address examination malpractice.
Why it matters
The shift toward social media-based political communication reflects a strategic attempt by the government to manage public perception among younger demographics during periods of civil unrest.
Within 24 hours of posing a vertical angle ‘Instagrammable’ video with a phone telling youngsters protesting against the NEET exam paper leak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (July 24, 2026) advised his own Cabinet colleagues that they needed to be Instagram-ready and reach out to young people.
Presiding over a meeting of the Union Cabinet, where significant tweaks were made to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, to enhance penal provisions for those committing leaks of examination papers, he asked his colleagues as to how many of them had an Instagram account and how often they used it.
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