Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday, 19 September 2026, urged tribal youth gathered at Bhadbha village in Dahod district to independently verify national development figures using AI tools on their smartphones — comparing benchmarks from before 2014 with the present. The interaction was organised as part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan and the Vadnagar-to-Varanasi bike rally.

The AI Moment at the Youth Interaction

Addressing participants, Sanghavi posed a direct challenge: 'Who among you uses AI? Just check this... How many universities and seats were there from Independence until Modi Saheb came, and how many are there now?' Several youth immediately used AI tools on their phones and shared results from their seats, turning the public meeting into an impromptu fact-checking exercise. The session highlighted how digital tools are increasingly being deployed in political outreach to tribal communities.

Education Figures Cited at the Event

According to data shared during the interaction — attributed by participants to Rajya Sabha records — the number of medical colleges in India reportedly rose from 387 before 2014 to 780, while MBBS seats increased from 51,348 to 1,15,900. Postgraduate medical seats reportedly grew from 31,885 to 74,306. The group also discussed expansion in engineering and higher education seats, with Sanghavi noting that greater access had helped students from tribal and ordinary families pursue medicine and engineering careers.

Government Scheme Beneficiaries Share Experiences

The event also featured testimonials from beneficiaries of central and state welfare programmes. A young farmer said he received ₹1 lakh directly into his bank account to purchase a tractor. One participant said his grandfather had undergone heart surgery free of cost under the Ayushman card, while another said his wife received free treatment worth ₹70,000 for a stone-removal operation at a multi-speciality hospital through the same scheme. Sanghavi noted that free treatment of up to ₹10 lakh is now available under the scheme in Gujarat.

A student said he received ₹50,000 in education assistance through an E-Nirman card for B.Sc Nursing, while his sister, pursuing BAMS, benefited from a Free Ship Card. Another participant said his family received ₹3.5 lakh under the PM Awas Yojana to replace a kutcha house. Participants also cited the annual ₹6,000 direct transfer to farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and emergency veterinary support via the 1962 helpline.

Bike Rally, PM Modi's 25 Years of Service

Sanghavi praised the participants of the Vadnagar-to-Varanasi bike rally, noting that the riders were travelling thousands of kilometres over 22 days carrying out cleanliness and social service activities across villages. He said more than 50 per cent of participants had come from non-political backgrounds. Reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25 years of public service — spanning his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and subsequently as Prime Minister — Sanghavi said Modi had not taken a single leave for personal work during this period, urging young people to draw inspiration from his dedication.

Sports Complex Visit and Social Service Appeal

During his visit to Dahod, Sanghavi also stopped at the Sports Complex in Devgadh Baria, where he watched wrestling, karate, archery, tug-of-war, and running competitions, and participated in a running event himself. He told athletes that sport builds discipline, self-confidence, team spirit, and leadership, and said the government is working to improve sporting facilities in rural and tribal areas. Closing the youth interaction, he urged participants to dedicate 25 minutes daily over the next month to social service — including village cleanliness drives, teaching children in government schools, blood donation, and helping the elderly access welfare schemes.