PM Modi talks ‘aura’ again, this time during interaction with teachers: ‘People will keep looking at your aura’

Speaking to one of the National Awardee Teachers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked her for a tip to enhance his public speaking skills.

As political leaders inch closer to connecting with the younger generation, the prime minister also seems to have adopted the Gen Z lingo, especially the word "aura" – which he used earlier this month in an interaction with CEOs and founders of space startups and again on Friday in an interaction with teachers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with the National Awardee Teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, in New Delhi on Saturday. (Narendra Modi Photo Gallery)

The word came up on Friday during the Prime Minister's interaction with National Teachers' Award winners, when a teacher told PM Modi that she was nervous because of his "aura".

PM Modi was quick to remark, "So, you mean to say that to be a public speaker, one shouldn't have an aura?"

"No, one should have it. Yours is already there, sir,” she answered.

The conversation did not end here, PM Modi remarked, "Then people won't listen! They will just keep looking at your aura."

The teacher added with a smile, "They could just keep looking at you, sir."

PM Modi on Friday hosted National Teachers' Award winners at his residence, engaging in some light banter yet thought-provoking interaction on innovative teaching methods, public speaking, screen addiction and drug abuse.

Speaking to one of the National Awardee Teachers, Prime Minister Modi asked her for a tip to enhance his public speaking skills. He said that if he were a student, what advice would the public speaking teacher give him?

“If I were your student and wanted to become a skilled orator, what tips would you give me? What should I do?"

"First of all, you need to be confident. Confidence comes through a lot of practice," the teacher said, only to admit moments later that she was feeling nervous herself.

Another awardee told the prime minister that she teaches students how to conduct interviews in an innovative way. To this PM Modi said that students must be interviewing their parents at home, asking questions over cooked food at home.

"They must be interviewing their parents at home too. Like, 'Why did you cook this? Why did you cook it this way? Who made this decision? How much was spent on the budget?'" he quipped.

The teacher laughed and added, "Yes, sir. And now, just for fun, all the kids in my school want to be reporters."

Sharing a video of the interaction on X, PM Modi said, "Teachers' Day is about appreciating the strong contribution of teachers to our society. It is also a day to pay homage to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Here is what happened when the National Teachers' Awards winners were invited to 7, LKM yesterday."

‘Screen time - an addiction’

PM Modi also raised concerns over increasing screen time of young children and stressed that it is important for students to show interest in sports to break free from the addiction. He spoke about the importance of designing programs that allow children to engage more in creative activities.

"Screen time has now become a form of addiction. A thought occurs to me: if a child begins to take a keen interest in sports, and by sports, I don't mean video games, but actually play on the field, they might gradually break free from that addiction. In this context, the more we engage children in creative pursuits, the more we should make it a habit to design programs that foster this..."

‘Rising drug issue’

PM Modi also spoke about the rising issue of drugs in major cities and universities, saying that rules are often imposed on students without explanation. He urged teachers to be aware of the implications and fears surrounding this and observe whether such measures are causing any behavioral changes in the children.

"Regarding the issue of drugs, which has surfaced in some major cities or universities, there is often a lack of awareness; sometimes rules are simply imposed without explanation. Teachers today need to be constantly aware of the implications and fears surrounding this and observe whether such measures are causing any behavioral changes in the children.”

PM Modi added that while he was addressing the teachers present in the room, he wished to convey his message to the entire education community – that one must look beyond textbooks to truly connect with children.

“I am addressing you all, but I also wish to convey a message to the entire education community: we must step beyond textbooks and syllabi to truly connect with children's lives. We must not let childhood die out; teachers are best positioned to preserve it. It is a teacher's duty to ensure that the child remains alive…”

‘Identify hidden talent’

The prime minister also asked if efforts are being made by teachers to identify hidden talents in students who may not excel academically.

"It's possible that a child might not be good at academics. But God has given everyone some strength. Do you teachers try to identify their talent?" he asked. A teacher responded, "We try a lot. In fact, that's our endeavour, because I believe every child in our school or class has a different quality, a different talent, a different challenge."

The interaction also swirled around other topics such as breast cancer, where a teacher who works on breast cancer awareness among women spoke about her efforts in schools.

To this, PM Modi recalled an initiative of his own in Kashi, where he is an MP from. “Since you're working on this subject, I'm the MP from Kashi. So, I started a campaign there for breast cancer awareness. And I'm very happy that these days, women are coming forward on their own for check-ups," he said, adding that the initiative had once helped register a Guinness World Record for the maximum number of people screened in a day.”

The interaction came after President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday.

Teachers' Day is celebrated every year on September 5 to mark the birth anniversary of former President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a philosopher, scholar and teacher whose legacy continues to be honoured through the day dedicated to educators across the country.

PM Modi’s aura pitch

(With inputs from ANI)