Don't stress, take exams joyfully: PM to students

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday donned the hat of education counsellor during his “Mann Ki Baat” radio programme.

He asked students to face examinations with confidence, instead of giving in to unnecessary pressure, usually created by parents, to perform better than others. To motivate the children, he made a candid admission that he had been an “ordinary student” and did not score “exceptionally well” in examinations. This may have been because he had poor handwriting and teachers were not able to read what he wrote, he said.

“Write your papers confidently and turn your examination into a celebration. Try to compete with yourself, not others. These examinations are not the test of your real capabilities.

Place your trust in the hard work you have put in. Believe that no matter how tough the paper, you will get through. Have confidence, and you will succeed,” he said conveyed his wishes to students preparing for board and competitive examinations.

Modi also used the opportunity to counsel parents, asking them not to pressure their wards to perform better than other children. “Examinations become a burden to many children. It is because of their parents, who keep comparing their performance with those of their friends and family members. In fact, you want to make a name for yourself through your child,” he said.

He asked such parents to introspect how correct it was to belittle the dreams of their children by forcing them to compete with others just for their own pride. They should stop comparing their wards to see a change in their life, he suggested.

 The prime minister also asked teachers to help children overcome fear of exams by organising “examination week” at least twice in a year. “Can examination week be organised at least twice a year, where competitions like cartoon-making, essay-writing, debates and lectures on examination can be organised? This will help end the fear of examinations among students,” he said.