Ahead of the exam season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked students to “smile more to score more”, and choose to “compete with self rather than with others” even as he cited the example of batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who kept challenging himself and bettered his records.
Tendulkar later thanked the PM for the mention and chipped in with his own advise as he tweeted, “Preparation is key for everyone... Be it a student or a player. Focus makes the challenge less daunting”.
Modi also asked the youth to use social media to spread stories of valour of soldiers, who were recently given bravery awards, saying it will make people proud and inspire them.
In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast, he underlined the need for students to relax by taking breaks from studies and rest properly and said the memory’s recall power is at its best when the mind is relaxed.
He asked students to choose ‘anuspardha’ (competing with self) over ‘pratispardha’ (competing with others). “Examination should be a source of happiness. It should be seen as an opportunity to highlight all the hard work you have done in a year. There should be enthusiasm and zest. It is your decision to treat as a pleasure or pressure. Those who treat it as a pleasure will gain and those who treat it as pressure will repent.
“My view is that examination is a celebration. Take it as if it is a festival. And when there is a festival or celebration, then the best comes out of us. We feel the society’s strength during celebrations. Whatever is the best comes out... Smile more to score more,” said Prime Minister.
He asked people to put examination in perspective and not treat it as “a question of life and death or as a test of life but merely of the study students have put in during the year”.
Modi 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 a limited use. Knowledge, skill, self-confidence and commitment will be of use to you during life,” he maintained.
He gave the example of late President APJ Abdul Kalam’s failure in an air force recruitment exam and said had he accepted it as a defeat, then India would not have got such a great scientist and President.
He 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. People have told you often but I am saying again — do not cheat. Even if no one catches you, you know that you have cheated in exams,” he said.
Urging the youth to use social media to spread stories of valour of soldiers, he said: “On January 30, the death anniversary of our revered Bapu, we observe 2-minute silence at 11 AM to pay our tributes to the nation’s martyrs. This 2-minute silence on January 30 should become a practice for us as a society and country...I especially urge the youth as you are very active on social media.
“Please search on Internet about the brave soldiers who were awarded this year. Write about them and spread it among your friends. When we come to know of their valour, then we are surprised as well as feel proud and inspired,” he said, congratulating soldiers and their families who received awards in various categories.
Modi also used the broadcast to offer his congratulations to the Coast Guard for completing 40 years of service during which it has become one of the four largest coastal security forces in the world with a fleet of 126 ships and 62 aircraft. Its anniversary falls on February one. lauding it, he said the force has also worked on coastal cleanliness besides security.
He noted that women, side-by-side men, work in various capacities in the Coast Guard rendering yeoman service.