Technology not a burden, learn its effective usage, PM Modi tells students

Responding to students’ query on how he as the Prime Minister handles stress, PM Modi said he challenges every challenge, and his biggest confidence is that he has 140 crore countrymen with him

New Delhi: Emphasising the importance of technology in today’s world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that one cannot run away from it and it should not be considered a burden, but rather should be used judiciously, while cautioning that the “excess of anything is bad.”

PM Modi interacts with students, teachers and parents ahead of the board examinations during his annual Pariksha pe Charcha in Delhi on Monday. (PTI)

The Prime Minister was addressing the seventh edition of his annual event ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’ where he interacts with students, teachers and parents ahead of the board examinations and responds to questions related to examination stress and related areas posed by students.

Responding to a question by some parents and students on how to manage studies with the abundance of social media platforms, the Prime Minister drew an analogy to excess mobile phone usage with home-cooked meals which when taken in excess can lead to stomach problems and other issues, even though it is rich in nutrients.

He stressed making effective use of technology and mobile phones with the help of judgment-based decision-making. “Every parent faces this issue”, the Prime Minister said pointing out the subject of privacy and secrecy.

He also suggested students to educate their parents about technology being an educational resource and also recommended sharing the passcodes of every mobile phone in their homes with every member to establish transparency. “This would prevent a lot of evil,:” he said.

Prime Minister Modi also touched upon monitoring screen time with the use of dedicated mobile applications and tools. He also suggested educating the students about the resourcefulness of mobile phones in the classroom.

Over 2 crore students, including 14.93 lakh teachers and over 5.69 lakh parents have registered for the event this year, and 4,000 people participated in the event physically. The PM addressed the queries of students both in person and virtually.

Addressing a query from, Dania Shabu from a private CBSE school in Oman and Md. Arsh from the government. Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Burari in Delhi on issue of addressing external factors such as cultural and societal expectations contributing to added pressure on students, the Prime Minister 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 urged the students, families and teachers to collectively address the issue of external stress while evolving the process rather than implementing a systematic theory.

Addressing the question of peer pressure and competition among friends raised by Bhagya Laxmi from Govt Demonstration Multipurpose School in Andaman and Nicobar Island, the Prime Minister said pointed out that often the seeds of unhealthy competition are planted in the family situations leading to perverse competition among the siblings. He asked the parents to avoid comparison among the children.

Giving an example of a video where children prioritised 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 may give rise to a tendency to befriend those who will not be an inspiring company,” he said

He also asked parents not to make the achievement of their children their “visiting card,” and suggested students rejoice in the success of their friends.”Friendship is not a transactional emotion,” he said.

Answering questions on dealing with exam stress asked by several students, the Prime Minister emphasised 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. He also asked students to stay in the habit of writing.

“Practice the writing of answers as much as possible. If you have that practice, the majority of exam hall stress will go away,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also addressed queries on the role of teachers in motivating students, and 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 connection 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,” he said.

Addressing the queries regarding striking a balance between exam preparation and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the Prime Minister advised students to maintain a balanced lifestyle and avoid excess of everything.

“Healthy body is critical for a healthy mind,” the Prime Minister said while emphasising that being healthy requires some routines and asked about spending time in sunlight and getting regular and complete sleep.

He pointed out that habits like screen time are eating into the required sleep which is considered very important by modern health science. The Prime Minister said that in his personal life too he has maintained a system of going into deep sleep within 30 seconds of going to bed. “Awake fully when awake and sound sleep while asleep, is a balance that can be achieved,” he said.

Speaking about nutrition, PM Modi stressed the balanced diet. He also emphasised the importance of regular exercise and physical activities for fitness.

Responding to the queries related to career progression, the Prime Minister gave the example of cleanliness and his resolve behind it. He underlined that ‘Swachhata’ is becoming a priority area in the nation. He also informed that India’s market in the art and culture sector has grown 250 times in the last 10 years. “If we have the capability, we can liven up anything,” he said.

He also urged students to not underestimate themselves, and suggested them going all in with full dedication. “We must be decisive to eliminate confusion,” the PM said, giving the example of ordering food in a restaurant where one must decide on what to eat. He also suggested evaluating the positives and negatives of the decisions to be made.

During his interaction, the Prime Minister touched upon the trust deficit in families and asked the parents and teachers to tackle this serious issue. He said that this deficit is not sudden but is a result of a long-drawn process and requires a deep self-analysis of everyone’s conduct, be it teachers, parents or students.

“Honest communication can reduce the chances of trust deficit. Students should be sincere and honest in their dealings. Similarly, parents should also convey their confidence in their children instead of suspicion. The distance created by the trust deficit can push children into depression,” he said.

The Prime Minister asked the teachers to keep channels of communication open with the students and avoid favouritism. He asked for an experiment and requested families of friends to regularly meet and discuss positive things that can help children.

Responding to students’ query on how he as the Prime Minister handles stress, Modi said, “My approach which I found useful is that ‘I challenge every challenge’. I do not wait passively for the challenge to pass. This gives me an opportunity to learn all the time. Dealing with new situations enriches me. My biggest confidence is that I have 140 crore countrymen with me. If there are 100 million challenges, there are billions of solutions. I never find myself alone and everything is on me, I am always aware of the capabilities of my country and countrymen. This is the fundamental crux of my thinking,” he said.

“The more I enhance the capabilities of my countrymen, my ability to challenge the challenges improves”, he said.

Giving an example of the poverty issue, the Prime Minister said when the poor themselves decide to remove poverty, poetry will go away. “It is my responsibility to give them tools for dreaming such as a pucca house, toilet, education, Ayushman, piped water. Once he is unshackled of the daily indignities, he will be sure of the abolition of poverty,” the Prime Minister said, while highlighting that in his tenure of 10 years, 25 crore people came out of poverty.

He also gave an illustration of the Covid-19 pandemic and said that instead of sitting idle, he chose to rally the people and raise their collective strength through acts like calling for diya, or ‘thali’. Similarly, celebrating sporting success and right strategy, direction and leadership have resulted in a massive medal haul at international events. “For proper governance also, there should be a system of perfect information from bottom to top and a system of perfect guidance from top to bottom,” he said.

The Prime Minister emphasised not being disappointed in life and said that once this decision is made, only positivity remains. “I have shut all doors and windows of disappointment in my life,” he said.

He said that decision-making becomes easier when the resolve to do something is strong. “When there is no selfish motive, there is never a confusion in the decision (making),” Modi said.

“Government strives to make a nation where not just the present but future generations have a chance to shine and show their capabilities”, the Prime Minister said stressing that it should be the collective resolve of the entire nation.

Throwing light on the power of positive thinking, the Prime Minister said that it gives the strength to look for positive outcomes even in the most negative situations. He concluded his interaction by encouraging all students and conveyed his best wishes to achieve their life goals.