Arya News - Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh Mandaviya are expected to coordinate campus assignments across an Indian university system that now includes 1,300 institutions.
NEW DELHI – A Union minister could soon be spending every day on a university campus somewhere in India, answering students’ questions on jobs, skills, education, and other issues under a new outreach being prepared by the Narendra Modi government.
Called “One Day, One University”, the proposed nationwide initiative is designed to put ministers directly in front of young people rather than restrict engagement to government events or online communication. The plan was discussed at a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the proposal.
The programme, however, has not yet been formally announced. Its rollout schedule, participating universities, and ministerial assignments are still being finalised.
What is ‘One Day, One University’?
The basic idea is simple: a Union minister will be assigned a university and spend a day interacting with its students.
The planned meetings are expected to take the form of open-house sessions rather than one-way addresses. Students would get an opportunity to raise concerns and question ministers on subjects that matter to them.
Jobs, education, skill development, and opportunities for young people are among the subjects expected to figure prominently in the conversations.
Ministers would also seek students’ views on wider national issues and explain government programmes aimed at youth and students.
Will students be able to directly question ministers?
That is part of the proposed format.
Sources familiar with the plan have said students would be able to raise their concerns and ask ministers questions during the interactions.
One particularly notable element under consideration is allowing students to freely use mobile phone cameras during the sessions.
The final format has yet to be announced.
Who will coordinate the university visits?
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya have been tasked with coordinating the proposed initiative, according to reports on the plan.
Their responsibilities are expected to include preparing university-wise lists and coordinating the assignment of ministers to campuses.
Joshi took charge of the Education Ministry on July 26 after being given additional charge of the portfolio. Mandaviya currently heads the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
How big could the outreach become?
India currently has 1,300 universities listed by the University Grants Commission.
The latest UGC figures show 57 central universities, 522 state universities, 161 deemed-to-be universities, and 560 private universities.
No official list has yet been released specifying which of these universities will be covered under the outreach or the order in which ministers would visit them.
Why is the Modi government launching a Gen Z outreach now?
The proposed initiative comes after a period of heightened student mobilisation over the NEET paper leak issue, including protests in Delhi and other parts of the country.
The government has also stepped up its emphasis on youth-focused measures involving employment, skills, and education.
Prime Minister Modi announced initiatives for young people in his Independence Day address, including free online coaching for competitive examinations and an AI skilling programme.
The university outreach would take that engagement directly to campuses.
Is ‘One Day, One University’ already running?
No formal nationwide rollout has been announced yet.
The proposal has been discussed at the Cabinet level and preparations are under way, but the government has not publicly released a launch date, university schedule, or list of ministers and campuses.
That distinction is important. “One Day, One University” is, for now, a proposed nationwide outreach format rather than a formally notified scheme with published operational guidelines.