The Centre on Friday announced a nationwide campaign against Covid involving students and other youths, but several students’ organisations dismissed the move as a “publicity stunt” meant to burnish the government’s sullied image.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is to engage five million students, teachers and other youths aged 10 to 30 years in the #YoungWarrior movement in collaboration with the ministries of youth affairs and health and other partners.

These volunteers are to reach out to 50 million people and sensitise them about Covid, and receive certificates in return.

“These actions include promoting access to verified health and essential services, vaccine registration, Covid-appropriate behaviours, myth busting, etc,” a letter from the CBSE to all its schools on Thursday said.

“These tasks will be hosted in 10 regional languages to protect themselves, their families and their neighbourhood against Covid-19.”

“Key messages and positive stories of youth action” will be promoted on social media “through partners and influencers”, the letter added, reflecting the publicity side of the exercise.

Congress student wing NSUI, CPM-affiliated SFI and the CPIML Liberation’s AISA demanded the government vaccinate the youth first before using them to try and salvage its image, which its Covid mismanagement has left in tatters.

“While this movement tasks the volunteers with helping people get registered for vaccination, there is a dire shortage of vaccines,” said Sunny Dhiman, NSUI leader and PhD student at JNU.

While the CBSE letter does not explain what kind of “myth-busting” the government has in mind, Dhiman highlighted how BJP lawmakers and ministers had “created myths about the virus and (purported) remedies like cow urine and the unproven Coronil”.

“The task (assigned to the movement’s volunteers) is to facilitate people’s access to health and essential services while the Uttar Pradesh government is punishing whistleblowers who expose the lack of essential services,” Dhiman said.

AISA president N. Sai Balaji said the task of promoting Covid-appropriate behaviour might be misused for vigilantism and harassment of the public.

“This campaign arouses more fear than confidence.

We have seen BJP workers target innocent people in the name of protecting culture and promoting nationalism,” Balaji said.

“This new initiative does not mention any criteria for selecting the volunteers. Ultimately, BJP and ABVP workers will harass people in the name of promoting Covid-appropriate behaviour.”

SFI secretary Mayukh Biswas said the proposed movement was a “publicity stunt”.

“Instead of prioritising vaccination, the government is building the Central Vista. The government will do a greater service by vaccinating the entire youth population than by engaging them in a campaign without ensuring vaccination,” he said.