PM Modi interacted with students, teachers and parents at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today during the 7th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC). He also took a walkthrough of the art and crafts exhibition showcased on the occasion. PPC is a movement driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to bring together students, parents, teachers and society to foster an environment where each child’s unique individuality is celebrated, encouraged and allowed to express itself fully.
Addressing the gathering of students, teachers and parents, the Prime Minister mentioned the creations by the students in the exhibition where they have expressed aspirations and concepts like New National Education Policy in various shapes. He said these exhibits reflect what the new generations think about various topics and what solutions they have for these issues.
Starting his interaction, the Prime Minister explained the importance of the venue, i.e. Bharat Mandapam to the students and told them about the G20 summit where all the major leaders of the world assembled and discussed the future of the world.
External pressure and stress
Dania Shabu from a private CBSE school in Oman and Md. Arsh from Govt. Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Burari in Delhi raised the issue of addressing external factors such as cultural and societal expectations contributing to added pressure on students. The Prime Minister noted that questions regarding cultural and societal expectations have always come up in PPC, even though it is the 7th edition. He highlighted the role of teachers in mitigating the impact of added pressure from external factors upon students and also pointed out that parents have experienced this from time to time. He suggested making oneself capable of handling pressure and preparing for it as a part of life. The Prime Minister urged the students to prepare themselves mentally by giving the example of travelling from one extreme climate condition to the other where the mind already prepares to face extreme weather conditions. He also suggested assessing stress levels and moving forward by gradually incrementing it so that the student’s ability is not hampered by it. PM Modi urged the students, families and teachers to collectively address the issue of external stress while evolving the process rather than implementing a systematic theory. He also suggested that families of students should discuss different ways that work for each of them.
Peer pressure and competition among friends
Addressing the issue of peer pressure and competition among friends raised by Bhagya Laxmi from Govt Demonstration Multipurpose School in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Drashti Chauhan from JNV Panchmahal in Gujarat and Swathi Dileep from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Calicut, Kerala, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of competition however, he emphasized that competition should be healthy. He pointed out that often the seeds of unhealthy competition are planted in the family situations leading to perverse competition among the siblings. PM Modi asked the parents to avoid comparison among the children. The Prime Minister gave an example of a video where children prioritized helping each other while competing in a healthy manner. He said that doing well in exams is not a zero-sum game and competition is with oneself as good performance by a friend does not restrict the field to do well. This tendency, said the Prime Minister, may give rise to a tendency to befriend those who will not be an inspiring company. He also asked the parents not to compare their children with other children. He also asked them not to make the achievement of their children their visiting card. PM Modi asked students to rejoice in the success of their friends.”Friendship is not a transactional emotion’, the Prime Minister said.
Role of teachers in motivating students
Throwing light on the role of teachers in motivating students, the Prime Minister replied to questions by Shri Kondakanchi Sampatha Rao, a Music teacher from ZP High School, Upparapalli, Andhra Pradesh, and Bunty Medi, a teacher from Sivasagar Assam. The Prime Minister underlined that music has the capability to relieve the stress of students who not only belong to one class but the entire school. PM Modi emphasized gradually expanding the student-teacher association right from the first day of class to the time of the exam and said that it would completely eliminate stress during exams. He also urged the teachers to become more accessible to students rather than associating with them on the basis of subjects taught. Giving the example of doctors who have a personal connection with their patients, the Prime Minister said that such a bond acts as half the cure. He also suggested developing a personal connect with the families and appreciating the students for their achievements before them. “Teachers are not in a job role but they shoulder the responsibility of grooming the lives of students”, PM Modi added.
Dealing with exam stress
Adrita Chakraborti of Pranavanda Bidya Mandir, West Tripura, Shaikh Taifur Rehman, a student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Bastar, Chhattisgarh and students from Adarsh Vidyalaya, Cuttack, Odisha, Rajyalaxmi Acharya asked the Prime Minister about dealing with exam stress. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to avoid mistakes due to over enthusiasm of the parents or over sincerity of the students. He asked the parents not to over-hype the exam day by new clothes, rituals or stationery. He also asked the students not to keep preparing until the last moment and approach exams with a relaxed mindset and to avoid any external destruction that can lead to unwanted tension. The Prime Minister advised them to read the question paper and plan with time allocation to avoid panic at the last moment. The Prime Minister reminded the students that most of the exams are still written and the habit of writing is declining due to computers and phones. He asked them to stay in the habit of writing. He asked them to devote 50 percent of their reading/study time to writing. He said only when you write something you truly understand that. He asked them not to be panicked by the speed of the other students.
