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The UGC has asked universities and colleges to set up selfie points with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image in the background within campuses across the country. While the notification did not specifically mention the name of the Prime Minister, it had given specific design samples and all of them had the image of PM Modi. This comes months before the general election of 2024.
A letter dated December 1, signed by UGC secretary Manish Joshi was addressed to Vice Chancellors of Universities and all other educational institutions. It stated that the selfie points were aimed at creating “awareness among the Youth about India’s achievements in various fields”.
The notification explicitly stated that college and university authorities should encourage the students to click selfies in said selfie points and post them on social media to foster “a state of collective pride.” It also added that "The Selfie Points will not only serve as a source of pride but also enlighten every citizen about the transformative initiatives that have propelled India's growth on the global stage."
The designs for these Selfie Points were available in a Google Drive link attached with the notification. However, the samples were later removed following a political uproar. Opposition questioned if this was aimed to woo young voters by misusing educational institution campuses. "Our selfie-obsessed and self-obsessed PM is so insecure in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls that he’s leaving no stone unturned to save his flailing image," said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, taking to social media platform 'X'. Trinamool Congress has slammed PM Modi and called him "photo-mantri". "PM = Photo Mantri Mr @narendramodi Did You Know, UGC has asked Universities to set up ‘selfie points’ with your image in the background," said TMC MP Derek O'Brian on 'X', quoting a media report.
The designs highlight the various new initiatives that have been undertaken by the government, particularly under the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP). Each design also had a cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and covered topics like Internationalisation of Education, Ek Bharat Sreshth Bharat - Unity and Diversity, Smart India Hackathon, establishing Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Centers aimed to teach “traditional knowledge” in various arts and science fields and more.
