00:00For political parties, the battle for young voter is no longer being fought only from the stage or at the
00:08booth.
00:09It is being fought on the phone.
00:12Ahead of crucial state elections, next year and after the Gen Z protests that brought youth anger into sharp focus,
00:19the Modi government now appears to be stepping up its push to connect with the generation that consumes politics very
00:26differently.
00:27One reel per day, per hour, per minute, per second perhaps.
00:32And now there is even a report card.
00:35Government sources have told India today that the social media performances of union ministers was assessed
00:41and a report card was presented at the cabinet meeting.
00:45The parameters included the number of posts they did, the kind of engagement they got,
00:49the likes, follow accounts across Instagram x Facebook and at the top, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
00:56but this is not simply about who has the biggest following.
01:02This comes as the BJP and the government took, you know, took some time perhaps,
01:08but are now looking to speak to Gen Z in its own language.
01:13They want to make it shorter, they want to make it faster, more visual and increasingly more personal as well.
01:18But there's a catch.
01:21Getting Gen Z to watch is one thing, getting Gen Z to believe and trust, well that's something entirely different,
01:29right?
01:29So let's try and understand that and decode this.
01:32Here's Piyush and Himanshu with a story on how there has been an entire shift in the thinking of the
01:39Modi government
01:40and their approach towards Gen Z.
01:43It all starts with Instagram.
01:53Some events leave a lasting impact and Delhi's Janthar Mantar protest last month
02:00appear to have triggered a rethink within the BJP's digital strategy.
02:05An eye-opener in many ways, with the focus now shifting firmly on Gen Z, Instagram and short-form content.
02:13From PM Modi's familiar Hello Friends videos, to more casual Instagram reels.
02:29And a wider digital rejig within the party.
02:33The message is clear.
02:36Politics is now chasing the Gen Z-like.
02:41Sources have told India today that the overall social media performance ranking of ministers
02:46was presented at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
02:49And this was not just a ministers versus ministers popularity contest.
02:54The assessment looked at the traction generated by political leaders across Instagram, X and Facebook.
03:01From the country's top political faces to grassroots-level leaders.
03:08The report covered social media activity between May 1st and August 15th, 2026.
03:14The ranking took into account average daily posts, total engagement, average engagement per post,
03:23likes, average likes and the follower count across all platforms.
03:29And at the top of the list, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
03:33He has a following of 106 million on Instagram and has good reach on other social media platforms as well.
03:41Over the years, he used the platform for short videos.
03:45Behind-the-scenes moments, travel visuals, festival greetings and more personal, less formal interactions,
03:56content that often looks very different from his traditional political speeches.
04:02But Prime Minister's recent Instagram presence has seen unnoticeable shift,
04:09shorter videos, more casual styling, creator-style formats and content designed for quick consumption.
04:19Just like how the Gen Z likes it.
04:22Prime Minister's social media avatar is changing.
04:26The Prime Minister wants his ministers to slay too.
04:29Sources say after the protest, Prime Minister Modi asked union ministers to get more active on platforms
04:36popular with younger audiences, with content that feels natural, less scripted and less heavily edited.
04:45And the Gen Z outreach isn't stopping at Instagram.
04:48It is learnt that the Modi government is now preparing a major university outreach push,
04:54where the ministers will be travelling across the country to meet students,
04:58hear their concerns and explain government schemes.
05:02Under the One Day, One University initiative,
05:05ministers will engage directly with students taking the government's message from the real suite,
05:11to the campus floor.
05:12Because, after all, a vibe check is a must.
05:17In the digital age, building a connection on social media is important.
05:22But IRL interactions matter too.
05:26Because getting Gen Z's attention may be easy.
05:30Earning their trust, that's the real challenge.
05:34With Piyush and Himanshu Mishra, Bureau Report, India Today.
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