PM Modi meets students ahead of Pariksha Pe Charcha, shares personal anecdotes and exam tips

With the exam season around the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students in an informal yet engaging session at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery. This unique interaction took place ahead of the 8th edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha,’ his annual initiative to help students cope with exam-related stress.

A video released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) captured PM Modi discussing exam worries with students through humour and personal stories. Recalling his own school days, he shared an anecdote about his struggles with handwriting. “My teachers tried hard to improve my handwriting, but while their skills got better, mine didn’t,” he joked, drawing laughter from the students.

Students from various states, including Kerala, Punjab, Bihar, and Tripura, attended the session. One student expressed how comfortable and friendly the conversation felt, saying, "It didn't seem like we were talking to the Prime Minister, he felt like a friend." Another student told PM Modi he was there to share his ‘Dil Ki Baat,’ to which Modi quipped, "I do Mann Ki Baat, you can do your Dil Ki Baat."

Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025 is scheduled for February 10 at 11 am in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This year’s event will feature a refreshed format, with prominent personalities joining the discussion to support students ahead of their board exams. The lineup includes Deepika Padukone, Mary Kom, Avani Lekhara, Rujuta Diwekar, Sonali Sabharwal, FoodPharmer, Vikrant Massey, Bhumi Pednekar, Technical Guruji, and Radhika Gupta.

Since its inception in 2018, Pariksha Pe Charcha has grown into a nationwide movement aimed at making exams a stress-free experience. The initiative has witnessed remarkable participation, with 3.56 crore registrations for the 2025 edition, a sharp rise from the previous year's 2.26 crore. The government has positioned it as a ‘Jan Andolan’ (people’s movement), emphasizing the importance of mental well-being and a positive approach to exams.

In the lead-up to this year’s event, various activities were organized in schools across the country from January 12 (National Youth Day) to January 25 (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti). These included indigenous games like Kho-Kho and Kabaddi, short-distance marathons, meme competitions, street plays (Nukkad Natak), and poster-making contests. Schools also hosted workshops, discussions, and yoga sessions to help students develop focus and manage stress effectively.

The first three editions of Pariksha Pe Charcha were held in New Delhi in an interactive town-hall format, while the fourth edition moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the event has returned to in-person interactions, with the previous editions hosted at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. This year’s session promises an even broader engagement, reinforcing PM Modi’s vision of transforming exam stress into an opportunity for learning and growth.