'Make Reels...Youths Are on Instagram,' PM Modi Asks Ministers To Be Active On Social Media: Sources

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked Union Ministers to be active on social media and create Instagram reels, sources said. The advice is said to have been imparted at the Cabinet meeting held on Friday. This comes amid the youth-led protest against the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and other examination-related irregularities.

During the meeting, the PM reportedly asked the ministers how many of them were active on Instagram. He then told the Cabinet that the “youths are on Instagram” and hence they should make reels to stay connected with the youngsters.

PM Modi's ‘Gen Z-Style’ Video

Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had a posted a ‘Gen Z-style’ video on social media at 11:52 pm on Thursday. The PM had used the front camera to shoot the selfie video, that gave it an appearance of being an Instagram reel.

In the video, PM Modi addressed the students' protest, noting that paper leak is not an “ordinary issue”: “Mai jaanta hu ki paper leak koi mamuli vishya nahi hai. Laakho Vidyarthi aur unke abhibhavako ke liye bohot hi peedadayak hai. (Friends, I know that paper leak is not an ordinary issue. It is very painful for lakhs of students and their families.)"

The PM added, “Aur isiliyae paper leak ghatna se ab tak, pichle dhai mahino se anek kadam uthyae gae hai. (That is why many steps have been taken in the last two and a half months.) The culprits have been caught and are in jail."

He added that the government's most important responsibility was to ensure that not even a single year is wasted for students and hence it was very important to take the exams immediately.

PM Modi further said, “The government has now used its full power to arrange for the exams of at least 22 lakh students. And now, five or six days ago, on the 19th, the results have come out. And the news of the students' happiness has spread all over the country. But we are not among the people who are satisfied there. And that is why I had instructed the departments for a fast-track court today.

“Today (July 23), the departments worked hard and gave me an adjournment late at night. Tomorrow (July 24), there will be a discussion in the Cabinet. After the advice of the Cabinet members, it will be given its final form. And from Monday, when the second week of the Parliament starts, we will try to get that bill passed as soon as possible,” he added.

‘PM Trying To Match Gen-Z Wavelength’

A netizen noted that with the late-night selfie video, PM Modi was “trying to match the wavelength of Gen Z”.

They added, "The unusual midnight timing and self-recorded style immediately went viral! The audience has changed. The platforms have changed. The way people consume information has changed. So communication has to change too. Brilliant."

Another social media user commented, “That perfectly awkward front-camera selfie angle, carefully crafted to look completely spontaneous, is just one of the many reasons Modi and the BJP are so good at the social media game."

An X user noted that the Prime Minister of India has an entire media team at his disposal and if he wanted a formal address, it could have been professionally filmed with multiple cameras or broadcast live on Doordarshan.

“Instead, the video was deliberately different. The camera was handheld and slightly tilted. Why does that matter? A perfectly level camera conveys an official government message. A slightly tilted, phone-style angle feels personal, spontaneous and familiar—the visual language that Instagram and Gen Z audiences consume every day,” they added.

The netizen also stated that the timing selected by PM Modi was not random.

“For millions of young people, this is peak scrolling time. Whether lying in bed or returning from a late-night outing, many are still on their phones consuming short-form content. The combination of an informal shooting style and carefully chosen timing made the message feel native to the platform rather than like a government broadcast. Within minutes, the video had attracted massive engagement, and the online narrative shifted,” they added.

Students' Protest

PM Modi's message comes as the students' protest gained momentum across India. The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been camping at the Jantar Mantar from June 6, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

The movement drew heightened attention when it got support from famous environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who went on an indefinite hunger strike at the protest site. He broke his fast after 26 long days, following certain assurances from the government.

On Wednesday (July 22), the wave of protest reached Mumbai as several CJP supporters took to the streets, calling for Pradhan's resignation. Earlier, CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke stressed that the “protest will not end until Dharmendra Pradhan is sacked by PM Modi”.