PM Modi tells students about nutrition, mastering pressure and leadership in 8th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his annual event of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha' (conversation about exams), which saw over three crore registrations this year, interacted with students on a host of issues like nutrition, mastering pressure, and leadership.

The video was broadcast on his official X account on Feb 10 where Modi shared his wisdom with the students, saying that knowledge and examinations are two different things.

One should not consider exams as be-all and end-all in life, said Modi. "We cannot live like robots, we are humans," he added.

In a rather unusual setting from previous years’ ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’, this year the premier interacted with the students outdoors at Sundar Nursery in New Delhi where he said students should not be confined and allowed to explore their passions.

Modi took around 35 students and held a deep and informal conversation. He urged students to utilize their time judiciously and also shared stress management tips.

The prime minister spoke on issues such as 'master your time master your life, live in the moment, finding positives, nourish to flourish', with students asking him about different matters.

He further urged parents to not use their children as show-offs and not compare them with others but should support them.

He also asked students to use their time in a planned way for effective management.

Launched in 2018, the initiative focuses on addressing exam stress and offers valuable guidance to them, their teachers, and their parents.

Modi shared anecdotes from his school life where he said his teachers helped him improve his handwriting. "When I was in school, my teachers made a lot of efforts in helping me to improve my handwriting. Their handwriting skills may have flourished, but mine didn't,” he said.

He said students should challenge themselves and always try to do better than their previous results while emphasizing the need for nutrition and meditation.

Speaking on the issue of leadership, he said people take cues from the conduct of leaders and speeches alone do not help.

Actor Deepika Padukone, boxer MC Mary Kom and spiritual leader Sadhguru were among those who also shared their experiences and knowledge with students on important facets of life and learning in different episodes of Pariksha Pe Charcha this year.

Last month, the Ministry of Education said that 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' has not only become a "popular program" but has also transformed into a "Jan Andolan" (people's movement).

"It resonates deeply with students, teachers, and parents across the country. The initiative's focus on addressing exam stress and encouraging students to view examinations as a festival – "Utsav" – has struck a chord with people from all walks of life," the ministry said in a statement.

In a bid to strengthen the initiative as "Jan Andolan," a series of engaging activities were conducted from Jan 12 (National Youth Day) to Jan 23 (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti) at the school level.

These activities were conducted across states and UTs and a total of 1.42 crore students, 12.81 lakh teachers, and 2.94 lakh schools participated.

"These activities were designed to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance performance during exams and beyond. Students were encouraged to participate in a diverse range of activities, including indigenous games like Kho-Kho and Kabaddi, short-distance marathons, creative meme competitions, engaging Nukkad Natak performances, and eye-catching poster-making," the Education Ministry said.