Parents should avoid 'running commentary' which creates pressure on students: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged parents to avoid comparing the performance of their wards with that of the latter's friends or siblings as such a practice of "running commentary" will prove detrimental to a child's future.

The Prime Minister made these remarks during an interaction with students at the seventh edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', a programme where he attempts to create a stress-free atmosphere for youngsters who are preparing to give their exams.

"There is a pressure that we have set for ourselves like we have to get up at 4 am in the morning. We have to study till 11 pm at night, solve this many answers, I think we should not stretch ourselves so much that our ability gets broken. We should do it in increments, slowly," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister observed that parents step up the pressure by asking children to wake up early during exams and by comparing students with their friends.

"This running commentary by parents, elder brothers and teachers drawing negative comparisons every now and then is detrimental to a student's future. It does more harm than good. So, we must ensure that issues are addressed through a proper and heartfelt conversation with students rather than reducing their morale and confidence through unfriendly comparisons and talks," PM Modi said, adding that the parents should avoid such a practice.

"This programme is like an exam for me too": PM Modi said during the interaction where he sought to answer questions from students and their teachers from across the coutnry.

He also said that one must become capable of bearing all kinds of pressures. "One must become capable of bearing any kind of pressure. They should believe that pressure keeps on building and one has to prepare oneself (to tackle it)," the PM said.

Addressing a range of questions, from peer pressure to competition among classmates, the PM said that if there is no competition in life, then life will become unmotivated. "There must be competition, but only healthy competition," he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that teachers play an important role in reducing the stress of students. "Therefore, there should always be a positive relationship between teachers and students. The job of a teacher is not just to do a job, but to enhance life, and to give strength to live, this is what brings change," he said.

This year, the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme was held in a town hall format at Bharat Mandapam here in the national capital.

Two students and a teacher from each of the States and Union Territories and winners of the Kala Utsav were invited as special guests for the main event. A total of 100 students from the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), from different parts of the country attended the event for the first time since inception.

Referring to the successful G20 event, held at the venue in September last year, the Prime Minister said, "You have come to the venue where all the great leaders of the world discussed the future of the world for two days. And today (at the same place) you are going to discuss about the future of India."

Shortly before his address, the Prime Minister inspected an exhibition, where the future of the country showcased him their tech innovations.

"I got an opportunity today to understand what our youths think about various sectors such as land, water, space and AI, and what solutions they have about the issues in these sectors. It felt that even if I had four to five hours, it would have been less," PM Modi said.

PM Modi holds the interaction with students every year before the Board exams. In addition to discussing exam stress relief, he also offered insights and useful advice from past programmes.

Earlier on Sunday, Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar, held a press conference regarding PM Modi's unique interactive programme, Pariksha Pe Charcha, wherein students, parents, and teachers across the nation and also from overseas interact with him to discuss and overcome the stress emerging out of examinations to celebrate life as an Utsav.

Sarkar said this event has been organised successfully for the last six years by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. The first three editions of PPC were held in New Delhi in a town-hall interactive format. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth edition was held online in the form of a programme telecast on Doordarshan and all major TV channels.

The fifth and sixth editions of PPC were again held in town-hall format at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. Almost 31.24 lakh students, 5.60 lakh teachers, and 1.95 lakh parents participated enthusiastically in the contests last year (2023), the union minister said.

He also said that the 7th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' recorded a massive 2.26 crore registration on the MyGov portal. He added that this shows the extensive enthusiasm among students nationwide, eager to participate in this distinctive event and interact with the Prime Minister.