Foreign Ministry makes Snapchat debut amid PM Modi's Gen Z push

The development came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged his cabinet colleagues to bolster their social media presence by engaging with young minds through the use of interactive content like reels.

In Short

• Randhir Jaiswal announced the move through a video shared on X
• He asked users to follow ministerial updates from India and abroad
• Earlier, PM Modi told ministers that young audiences on Instagram must remain within reach

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday launched its official Snapchat account, becoming one of the first ministries to expand its footprint on the digital platform that is dominated by the Gen Z population.

The development came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged his cabinet colleagues to bolster their social media presence by engaging with young minds through the use of interactive content like reels.

Briefing on the latest development, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the MEA, posted a video on X. “You followed us on X, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn. Follow us on Snapchat to hear more about what the Ministry of External Affairs does. Both in India and through our missions and posts abroad,” Jaiswal was heard saying.

He also shared the video with the caption, “We're now on Snapchat! Add us and stay connected for exclusive stories, updates, engaging content and more. Let's Snap!”

Nearly two weeks ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked several other ministers to use Instagram actively as the platform is home to a vast section of Indian youth. He also asked his colleagues to post reels and engage with the young minds through other interactive content.

"Young audiences are on Instagram. This is a large section of citizens that all of us need to stay connected with," the Prime Minister told ministers, according to sources close to the development.

PM Modi further said that simply posting updates about government initiatives was not enough. Instead, they should use Instagram to interact directly with young people and communicate in a more engaging and accessible manner.

The instructions came in the wake of a month-long protest by the Cockroach Janta Party over the paper leak of the NEET examination. The protest, which saw massive participation of the youth, led to the resignation of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Unlike other student protests, the CJP agitation at Jantar Mantar saw the rapid use of Instagram content, such as memes and banter. Reels were also made and shared on Instagram, capturing many moments from the protest.

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