In India, amongst the youth and growing children, performing well in examinations is the most crucial situation. As the examination days approach, there is a wave of anxiety and nervousness sweeping across all households wherein children burn their midnight oil to prepare for exams. Hence, never had examination time been considered joyous until the Modi government started the initiative “Pariksha Pe Charcha”. Launched in 2018, this initiative allows students to interact directly with our Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi and discuss their study-related problems. This initiative has been very effective and has helped to change students’ perspective towards examinations.
At Atmiya Vidya Mandir, with the instruction and suggestion of our principal Dr. Vijay Patel, students got an opportunity to watch the live telecast of this programme. Though students at AVM have grown a tendency to resort to prayers to keep the stress at bay, yet this programme was much beneficial as the students listened to the queries and concerns of the other students of their own age from various parts of the country speaking to the Prime Minister. The students of AVM took note of the precious advice given by the PM that “Every work should be first examined thoroughly” which can be applied to questions in the paper. The senior students preparing for board exams at AVM marked PM Modi’s way of drawing the link between the focus of a batsman on a cricket field and the minds of students. The Prime Minister said that the pressure of expectations can be overcome if the student remains focused like a cricketer in the stadium amidst cheering crowd.
Both senior and junior groups of students of AVM were greatly inspired for hard work and grit, when our PM gave the example of people at a railway station who cross the platforms by making a way on the railway tracks instead of crossing the foot overbridge, the Prime Minister pointed out that shortcuts will not take you anywhere and said, “Shortcuts will cut you short.”
Never before in the history of India did a Prime Minister talk to school children directly while empathetically listening to their study related concerns, aspirations and ideas. It gives the anxious students much relief when such a busy persona, who is at the helm of affairs, listens to their problems and gives easy and practical solutions. This unprecedented initiative restructured the entire outlook of examination time by reintroducing it as a ‘celebration’ and ‘festivity’. Thus, the students of AVM are much enthralled as the Prime Minister outlined a refreshing approach towards exams and conferred them the title of ‘exam warriors’.
The notes mentioned below are the takeaway lessons from this session, the 6th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) held on 27th January 2023.
- “One should take up the least interesting or most difficult subjects when the mind is fresh.”
- “Cheating will never make you successful in life.”
- “One should do hard work smartly and on the areas that are important.”
- “Most of the people are average and ordinary but when these ordinary people do extraordinary deeds, they achieve new heights.”
- “Criticism is a purifying and a root condition of a prospering democracy.”
- “There is a huge difference between allegations and criticism”- criticism requires dedicated hard work and detailed analysis whereas allegations are based on prejudices and assumptions.
- “God has given us free will and an independent personality and we should always be conscious about becoming slaves to our gadgets.”
- “Increasing average screen time is a worrying trend.”
- “One exam is not the end of life and overthinking about the results should not become a thing of everyday life.”
- “By attempting to learn a regional language, you are not just learning about the language becoming an expression but also opening the doors to the history and heritage associated with the region.”
- “I believe that we should not go the way of corporal punishment to establish discipline, we should choose dialogue and rapport.”
- “Parents should expose the children to a wide array of experiences in society.”
- “We should reduce the stress of exams and turn them into celebrations.”
Wish everyone involved a Happy Exam Time !!
