Prime minister Narendra Modi's much-awaited Mann ki Baat on the topic of exams on an eventful Sunday must have come as a great stress buster for crores of students who are right now going through torrid times.
In a tete-a-tete with students in which he seems to be improving to connect with listeners with every programme of Mann ki Baat, Modi exhorted students to take examinations in their stride and not as a matter of life and death or to score better than their fellow students or neighbours.
In a lighter vein, Modi frankly gave his example as an average student who had very bad hand writing. "And perhaps, I could pass exams because the teachers could not understand my hand writing," he said striking a cord and making many stressful students lighter in head. It was also a lesson to parents who want to see their wards excel at any cost and in the process make their lives miserable.
He requested them not to compare their children with others, as doing so causes stress among kids. Citing the example of athlete Sergei Bubka, the great pole vaulter, who beat his own record 35 times, the PM said one should compete with oneself instead of measuring success with others' achievements. Using the simily sent by R Kamath from Tamil Nadu, Modi asked the students to be 'warriors' and not 'worriers' and not doubt their abilities.
Modi said students should know their potential to scale greater heights. "Life is big, full of highs and lows and students should not bother much," he said. Touching everyday simple grouses that many students often weave to put the blame of their failure success, Modi said, "You may sometimes get angry if your mother asked you to do some work and blame her for not able to study but would talk for several hours with your friends on phone… Don't go in for such blame games but think of your sister who helps her mother every day in the kitchen yet score good marks."
"We often look for external reasons because we ourselves are not confident and are confused. Remove this confusion, leave in the present. Think like a batsman who concentrates on the next ball and does not think about the match or the series and eventually becomes great," said Modi. He asked students not to be superstitious, but determined and focused.
"It is the lack of self-confidence that gives rise to superstitions. Do not fall into this trap, be confident of yourself," he said. Taking a cue from Benjamin Franklin, the PM asked the "young friends" to have a stable objective in life as, wavering objectives are called whims. "When you will have stable objective it will become resolve and when will combine it with industry it will turn into an achievement," said Modi.
