“Prime Minister Modi Advises Parents Against ‘Running Commentary’ Putting Pressure on Students during ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ 2024”

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged parents to refrain from “running commentary” about their children’s academic achievement by comparing it to that of their friends or siblings.

During a conversation with students at the seventh iteration of “Pariksha Pe Charcha,” the prime minister offered these statements to help young people who are getting ready for examinations feel less stressed.

We put pressure on ourselves, such as having to wake up at four in the morning. We have to study until 11 p.m. and work through a lot of answers. I believe we shouldn’t push ourselves too hard to the point where our abilities get compromised. We want to take it gradually and in little steps, PM Modi stated.

The prime minister noted that parents increase the strain on their kids by making them get up early for tests and by making comparisons between their kids and their peers.

The constant criticism from parents, older brothers, and teachers—who occasionally make disparaging remarks—is bad for a student’s prospects. In more ways than one, it fails. Therefore, we need to make sure that problems are resolved with kids via appropriate and sincere dialogue rather than undermining their confidence and morale through hostile conversations and comparisons, PM Modi stated, advising parents to refrain from doing the same.

“This program is like an exam for me too,” Prime Minister Modi remarked in response to queries from kids and instructors around the nation.

He added that one needs to develop the ability to withstand various forms of pressure. “One needs to develop the ability to withstand pressure of any kind. They ought to think that pressure is constant and that one must get ready to face it,” the PM stated.

Speaking on a variety of topics, including peer pressure and rivalry among classmates, the PM claimed that without competition, life would lose its meaning. “There must be competition, but only healthy competition,” he stated.

The prime minister made the point that instructors are crucial in helping pupils feel less stressed. As a result, teachers and students ought to get along well all the time. “Teachers’ jobs are not just about doing their jobs; they are about enhancing lives and giving people the strength to live,” the speaker stated.

This year, in Bharat Mandapam in the nation’s capital, the Pariksha Pe Charcha program was conducted in a town hall-style.

The winners of the Kala Utsav, along with two students and a teacher from each of the States and Union Territories, were invited as special guests for the main event. For the first time since the event’s founding, a total of 100 students from various Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) across the nation attended.

The Prime Minister remarked, “You have come to the venue where all the great leaders of the world discussed the future of the world for two days,” referring to the successful G20 meeting that took place there in September of last year. Additionally, you will talk about India’s future today.”

I had the chance to learn today what our young people believe about a variety of topics, including space, water, land, and artificial intelligence, as well as their suggestions for resolving problems in these areas. Even with four or five hours, it seems like it would have been less, PM Modi remarked.

Each year, PM Modi meets with students ahead of the board exams. Apart from talking about reducing exam stress, he also shared his knowledge and practical recommendations from previous programs.

Subhas Sarkar, the minister of state for education, spoke at a news conference earlier on Sunday about PM Modi’s innovative interactive initiative, Pariksha Pe Charcha, which allows teachers, parents, and kids from all across the country and beyond to engage with him to talk about and deal with stress emerging out of examinations to celebrate life as an Utsav.

Sarkar noted that the Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy has effectively coordinated this event for the previous six years. The first three PPC editions took place in New Delhi in an interactive town hall setting. The fourth iteration was held online as a show that was broadcast on Doordarshan and all major TV networks due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The fifth and sixth PPC editions took place at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, once more in a town hall-style. According to the union minister, about 31.24 lakh children, 5.60 lakh instructors, and 1.95 lakh parents eagerly entered the competitions last year (2023)

Additionally, he stated that a staggering 2.26 crore people registered for the seventh iteration of “Pariksha Pe Charcha” on the MyGov website. He went on to say that this demonstrates the widespread excitement among students around the country to take part in this unique event and speak with the prime minister.