PM Modi Pariksha Pe Charcha: PM Modi today addressed the fifth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his annual pep-talk for students, offered tips on shunning distractions like social media while preparing for exams.
"Make sure there are moments in the day when you are neither online nor offline, but just in-line," PM Modi said during the event "Pariksha Pe Charcha".
"Use online to improve your fundamentals and thus enhance your offline education as well. Online will help you broaden your studies but if you are getting distracted, use tools in your gadgets to keep yourself disciplined," he advised.
"To reflect and work on yourself is as important as using gadgets."
When the question on online distractions and how to deal with them was asked by a few students, the Prime Minister joked: "I have a question. Ask yourself, when you are studying online- are you reading or watching reels? I think you realise that I have caught you red-handed." The comment had children laughing.
It is not a question of offline or online, PM Modi said. "Often your body is in class, your eyes are on the teacher, but nothing is registering in your ears. That's because your mind is elsewhere. The medium is not the problem. It is your mind that is the issue."
He continued: "If you are attentive, and a curious brain is trying and willing to learn, the mode does not make a difference. In Gurukuls, there were no printing papers but they used to learn and remember it, all in oral format. It is just evolution that now we have online modes of learning."
Students must treat online learning as an opportunity, not as "an issue", the PM said.
"But do try to compare what you get online and offline in classes. Compare and seek to learn more. Online is for seeking knowledge. Offline is for executing it. We can seek all the knowledge we need online and offline whatever you learnt online, let it sink in and reflect on it."
He illustrated his point with an example of a Dosa making video. "Online you see how the Dosa is made but that does not fill the stomach. You need to learn and then implement it, in order to fill your stomachs."