Our very own Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged students not to compete with others but to compete with themselves. He was speaking with students during an event called ‘Pareeksha Par Charcha’. Held in New Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium on February 16th, the objective of the interactive session was to talk about stress-free examination. Around 2,000 students attended the event which was also participated by more than 10 crore students from across the country via video conference. The session comes two weeks after the launch of the book ‘Exam Warriors‘ authored by the PM to help students cope with stress.

PM Modi spoke about the importance of choosing a career that is interesting and advised students to look beyond marks and results. He urged them to explore the world outside. “Results and marks are by-products of exams, one must concentrate on giving their best. I follow a similar approach in politics, I only look at giving everything I have to my fellow Indians. If you think too much about results, it comes in the way of achieving other things,” he said. 

When a student asked how to handle stress, Modi said, “We all prepare honestly but if we don’t have confidence, we tend to forget things at the last minute. Self-confidence comes by challenging ourselves and working hard. We should always think of bettering ourselves. People think concentration is a major thing that has to be learned. But that is not true. Everyone throughout the day does something which requires complete concentration.”

Some of the key points discussed by the PM are mentioned below. Take a look.

  • To practice Yoga to improve concentration and relieve stress
  • The significance of quality sleep
  • Achieving a good balance between IQ (Intelligent Quotient) and EQ (Emotional Quotient)
  • Connecting with nature
  • Defocussing to destress by playing games and listening to music
  • To be self-confident and to always think of bettering ourselves

He also had some advice for parents. He asked them to not restrict children from playing and cautioned them to not impose their dreams on kids. He warned them to not plan their kids’ life before time and instead understand the inner abilities and aspirations of their kids. Ending the session on a celebratory note, the PM asked the students to regard examinations as a celebration. He stated that the months of February and March are the months for celebration and not for tension.

To boost your confidence, take up a preparatory test at the earliest.