With younger generations increasingly shaping public discourse, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday that the government should strategise communication strategy, advocating clear, concise and GenZ-friendly messaging over verbose.
The official messaging should not sound bureaucratic, while it cannot be too casual as every government statement can be tested in court. Clarity must be balanced with legal precision and remain within legal boundaries, she said at the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2026 in Mumbai.
Sitharaman's remarks come after days of protests by students, primarily led by the Cockroach Janta Party over the NEET UG paper leaks.
On June 6, the CJP organised its first major physical protest at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks. More than a dozen students reportedly died by suicide over NEET paper leak controversy.
ALSO READ: 'Never Undermined Youth Voice': FM Nirmala Sitharaman On CJP Protests, Exam Leaks
On June 28, Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest and began an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, with the betterment of India's education system as one of the key demands. The protests spread beyond Delhi with protesters taking to the streets in across the country.
Amid massive agitation across the country, Pradhan stepped down from his post as the education minister following growing demands over his resignation.
Speaking of these protests, Sitharaman defended the government, saying, "We didn't try at any time to stop the protest at all."
She said every generation protests when it is young and added that the government's responsibility was to ensure the re-examination was conducted on time so that students did not lose an academic year. She further mentioned that Pradhan took a wise call after the re-examination results by offering to resign.
ALSO READ: Rs 1 Lakh Crore Plan To Create 3.5 Crore Jobs: FM Sitharaman Highlights Centre's Employment Push
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