New Delhi: Calling Indian voters 'mature', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he completely understands the aspirations of the country's youth and considers it as his responsibility to provide them with a launching pad so that they can achieve their desired goals.
Ever since the biggest democratic exercise kicked off in April, PM Modi has been giving a clarion call to the young and first-time voters across the nation to vote in huge numbers, insisting that the 18th Lok Sabha will also be a "symbol of youth aspiration".
In an exclusive interview with the IANS news agency, PM Modi said: "I understand their aspirations. Today's youth is very different from the past. They don't want to conform to the previous standards. They want to make a big leap in every field to reach their intended destinations, even if it means bypassing some steps. Our responsibility is to provide them launching pads, give them a platform to fulfil their aspirations. There is a need to understand youth and their thinking pattern".
To ensure universal enlightened participation of the youth in elections, PM Modi-led government launched a 'mera pehla vote desh ke liye' (my first vote for the country) campaign. The PM has also been getting an insight into the minds of the young generation of India through interactive initiatives like 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' and 'Mann Ki Baat' monthly program.
Labeling the millions of questions that are posed to him by youngsters as nothing but a "treasure trove", he insists that the interactions give him an opportunity to analyze what the young minds of the country think. "When I do Pariksha Pe Charcha, I get to interact with thousands of students. I come across many students who are thinking decades ahead of their time. A major gap will emerge if the government and the leadership fail to understand the aspirations of this new generation," he said.
