Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Instagram for the second night in a row to thank young people for the strong response and the smart ideas they gave after his earlier midnight video about examination paper leaks. In this message posted very late at night the Prime Minister said thank you directly to the youth. He said he had a chance to talk to them the night and was touched by how much people had engaged with his message.
In the video Modi said thank you to everyone for sending what he called ideas. He added that the connection made through the talk would keep getting better in a way. The message was friendly and casual keeping the personal and direct style he used in his first video.
The Original Video and Its Viral Reach
The second message came one day after Modis midnight video. That video was posted before midnight. It talked about the growing student protests linked to the NEET-UG examination paper leak. In that video filmed in the front-camera style that younger people on social media like the Prime Minister said he planned to create fast-track courts and make punishments stricter for people who were responsible for the paper leaks. He also shared what the government had done over the two and a half months to deal with the problem.
The video became very popular. It had about 300 million views in 24 hours. That was more than the record held by a video from a famous internet person that had the K-pop group BTS. The popularity also led to an increase in Modis followers. His Instagram followers went up by a million overnight. Now he has than 100 million followers.
Context Behind the Outreach
The timing of the two videos is connected to the protests about problems in the NEET-UG exam process. People, including student groups are gathering to ask for answers. In some cases to ask the Union Education Minister to step down. In this situation Modis choice to talk about the issue directly through a late-night video that was filmed in a way was a different way of communicating compared to usual methods like official statements or press briefings.
Experts have said that this way of reaching out was clearly meant to connect with Indias people on a platform and in a way that they like. A government minister also asked people who use technology a lot to use trusted sources of information. Authorities also said they are ready to stop exam cheating.
A Pattern of Direct Digital Engagement
This is not the time that Modi has used social media to talk directly with people about public issues. He has asked for peoples ideas before his Independence Day speeches. He has also used online platforms to say thank you to people for their votes and their support on topics. However the response to this midnight video seems to be the biggest so far both in terms of how many people watched it and how many new followers he gained.
Modi is the followed politician and world leader on social media. His followers are than double the number of other well-known global leaders. The latest event shows that he is one of the connected leaders in the world through digital platforms. It also shows that Indian political leaders are now more willing to respond to protests led by people through informal digital ways instead of just using official policy announcements.
What Comes Next
Even though the two videos created a lot of support the real problem the claims about exam paper leaks and the protests is still not solved. Whether the fast-track courts and the tougher punishments become laws or actions, in the coming weeks will decide if this digital talk can really help ease the worries that are causing the ongoing student protests.
