I have shut all doors and windows of disappointment: PM Modi

New Delhi, January 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he has shut all the doors and windows of disappointment.

“I have shut all doors and windows of disappointment in my life,” the PM Modi said this while interacting with students, teachers and parents during the 7th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC).

Modi said that the role of the teachers is important in mitigating the impact of added pressure from external factors upon students.

He suggested making oneself capable of handling pressure and preparing for it as a part of life. “The students must prepare themselves mentally,” Modi said.

He also suggested assessing stress levels and moving forward by gradually incrementing it so that the student’s ability is not hampered by it.

“Students, families and teachers must collectively address the issue of external stress while evolving the process rather than implementing a systematic theory. The families of students should discuss different ways that work for each of them,” Modi said.

“The competition is very important for the growth. But this competition among the friends should be a healthy one,” Modi said.

He pointed out that often the seeds of unhealthy competition are planted in the family situations leading to perverse competition among the siblings.

PM Modi asked the parents to avoid comparison among the children.

He said that doing well in exams is not a zero-sum game and competition is with oneself as good performance by a friend does not restrict the field to do well.

“This tendency may give rise to a tendency to befriend those who will not be an inspiring company,” Modi said.

He also asked the parents not to compare their children with other children. He also asked them not to make the achievement of their children their visiting card.

Throwing light on the role of teachers in motivating students, the Prime Minister underlined that music has the capability to relieve the stress of students who not only belong to one class but the entire school.

Modi emphasised gradually expanding the student-teacher association right from the first day of class to the time of the exam and said that it would completely eliminate stress during exams.

He also urged the teachers to become more accessible to students rather than associating with them on the basis of subjects taught.

Many students asked about dealing with exam stress. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to avoid mistakes due to over enthusiasm of the parents or over sincerity of the students.

He asked the parents not to over-hype the exam day by new clothes, rituals or stationery.

He also asked the students not to keep preparing until the last moment and approach exams with a relaxed mindset and to avoid any external destruction that can lead to unwanted tension.

The Prime Minister advised them to read the question paper and plan with time allocation to avoid panic at the last moment.

The Prime Minister reminded the students that most of the exams are still written and the habit of writing is declining due to computers and phones. He asked them to stay in the habit of writing.

He asked them to devote 50 per cent of their reading/study time to writing.

He said only when you write something you truly understand that and asked them not to be panicked by the speed of the other students.

Avoid mistakes due to over enthusiasm or over sincerity: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the students to avoid mistakes due to over enthusiasm of the parents or by being over sincere.

He asked the parents not to over-hype the exam day by new clothes, rituals or stationery. He also asked the students not to keep preparing until the last moment and approach exams with a relaxed mindset and to avoid any external destruction that can lead to unwanted tension.

The Prime Minister advised the students to read the question paper and plan with time allocation to avoid panic at the last moment and reminded them that most of the exams are still written and the habit of writing is declining due to computers and phones.

He asked them to stay in the habit of writing.

He asked them to devote 50 percent of their reading/study time to writing. He said only when you write something you truly understand that. He asked them not to be panicked by the speed of the other students.

Raising the issue of striking a balance between exam preparation and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, students asked the Prime Minister about managing studies along with exercise.

He also mentioned the need to recharge mobile phones to illustrate the need to take care of physical health.

He asked for maintaining a balanced lifestyle and avoiding excess of everything.

“Healthy body is critical for a healthy mind,” PM Modi said.

He said being healthy requires some routines and asked about spending time in sunlight and getting regular and complete sleep.

He pointed out that habits like screen time are eating into the required sleep which is considered very important by modern health science.

The Prime Minister said that in his personal life too he has maintained a system of going into deep sleep within 30 seconds of going to bed.

“Awake fully when awake and sound sleep while asleep, is a balance that can be achieved,” he said. Speaking about nutrition, PM Modi stressed the balanced diet. He also emphasised the importance of regular exercise and physical activities for fitness.

The Prime Minister suggested attaining clarity when it comes to career path and avoiding confusion and indecisiveness. Giving the example of cleanliness and the Prime Minister’s resolve behind, PM Modi underlined that ‘Swachhata’ is becoming a priority area in the nation. He informed that India’s market in the art and culture sector has grown 250 times in the last 10 years.

Speaking about the National Education Policy, the Prime Minister highlighted the provisions to adopt different courses rather than being bound by a single stream.

The Prime Minister said students should be sincere and honest in their dealings. Similarly, parents should also convey their confidence in their children instead of suspicion. The distance created by the trust deficit can push children into depression.

The Prime Minister asked the teachers to keep channels of communication open with the students and avoid favoritism.