Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised students to adopt “digital fasting” once a week while addressing the Pariksha Pe Charcha event on Friday. PM Modi said parents should create a ‘no technology’ zone in their homes to help children keep safe from the spell of the internet world.
“Consider yourself smarter than the gadgets. Use technology but don’t let technology use you,” PM Modi said while answering students’ questions on how to stay focused without getting distracted by social media.
PM Modi further advised students to learn as many languages as possible to become more knowledgeable. “Knowing a different language helps you give a sense of familiarity to the other person, he added. The Prime Minister said India is a land of multilingual culture and its citizens should take pride in its presence.
Furthermore, PM Modi answered questions by the students about tips to deal with exam stress, time management, how not to resort to cheating, hard work or smartwork, among others. He added that criticism is an integral part of India’s democracy and students should learn from it to avoid getting affected by negative comments.
Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharemdra Pradhan was also present at the event. He called Pariksha Pe Charcha a public movement and the government’s attempt to prepare students for the 21st century.
However, several students and teachers from Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) refused to speak to the media citing “instruction from top management” when FE Education Online tried to get their views on the programme. A group of students from KV Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who said PM Modi’s suggestions were helpful for them, were interrupted in between to speak to us.
Meanwhile, Pratibha Kohli, Principal, Maharaja Agrasen Model School, Pritam Pura, said that the event is a great initiative by the government of India to provide career and studies related counseling at an early age. She added that the government should also organise a similar programme for students at the higher education level as exam related stress is an important issue for university students as well.