Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
As part of its outreach towards Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) launched ‘Mission Gen Z’ to connect the priorities of the youth with governance and public policy. In its first phase, the mission consisted of a youth camp of public representatives.Over 250 young elected representatives from the State’s urban and rural areas, in the age group of 20 to 30 years, participated in it in Mumbai.They raised issues pertaining to the development of sports complexes and playgrounds, seeking well-equipped libraries and study spaces, career guidance and employment support, employment portals and skill development centres, greater focus on youth festivals in colleges, de-addiction initiatives, self-defence training for women, foreign language training in Zilla Parishad schools in rural areas, greater use of social media and new technologies to connect with young people.The party said it will work towards developing a detailed strategy for short-term, medium-term and long-term engagement with Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the youth at large.“We are brainstorming to understand what the youth, as well as Gen Z and Gen Alpha, truly want. We need to develop a sustainable system to understand what we can meaningfully offer them and how their concerns can be translated into action,” Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said. He said that the party wanted to reach the Gen Z through its elected representatives.The party intends to draw programmes for students and youths. “The challenges faced by different age groups are different, and therefore our communication and solutions must also be tailored accordingly,” Dr. Shinde said.He emphasised that while problems cannot be resolved overnight, the government and party would continue making a sustained effort to listen to young people and work towards positive solutions.“While the opposition looks at the youth merely as a vote bank, we are in government and our focus is on ensuring that the benefits of schemes implemented for young people actually reach them. We want an open dialogue with the youth to honestly understand where the government is falling short and where it stands. The suggestions received from young people will be conveyed to the government and action will be pursued accordingly,” he said. Published - August 27, 2026 08:42 am IST
