PM to students: Smile more to score more

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

New Delhi, January 29

With exams around the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today exhorted students and their families to treat exams as a festival and not as a source of stress, saying they should “smile more to score more” and not take it as “test of life”.

In his monthly “Mann ki Baat” programme, he underlined the need for students to relax by taking breaks from studies and rest properly and said the memory’s recall power was at its best when the mind was relaxed. “A happy mind is a secret of good mark sheet,” Modi added.

He also asked students to choose “anuspardha” (competing with self) over “pratispardha” (competing with others) and cited the example of legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who kept challenging himself and bettered his records.

Students, parents and teachers were the focus of Modi’s 40-minute address as he noted that he found exams a source of concern for them wherever he went all these years and he always felt that they should come out of this “strange psychological pressure”.

Citing former President APJ Abdul Kalam as an example, Modi said had Kalam given up after failing to join IAF, India would not have got such a brilliant scientist. He also asked students to desist from resorting to shortcuts and cheating to score more.

“To cheat is to be cheap. It makes you a bad person. If you form a habit of cheating, there will be no desire to learn. Trying to cheat involves one’s time to find ways. Use it for better purposes,” he said.

He urged students not to chase marks, but gain knowledge. “Only studying for marks will lead to shortcuts and one will limit himself or herself. It is important to study for knowledge. Marks and marksheets have limited use. Knowledge, skill, self-confidence and commitment will help you in life,” Modi said. The PM concluded his address wishing students all the best for their upcoming exams.