Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for including her in the eighth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha. Sharing a teaser on Instagram, she gave a glimpse of her interaction with students and thanked the PM for the opportunity.
"Pariksha Pe Charcha is back with its 8th edition! This time, we'll also discuss the importance of mental health. Thank you, Honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi, for your commitment to this cause. I look forward to launching our episode," she wrote.
Reflecting on her school days, Deepika shared a lighthearted memory, saying, "Main bohot hi naughty bachchi thi. Main humesha sofas pe, tables pe, chair pe chad ke kudna… We also get stressed a lot. Like I was so weak in Maths and still am. Narendra Modi ji had also shared in his book to express, never suppress. So always express yourself whether it is with your friends, family, parents, teachers."
The full episode is set to be released on February 12 at 10 AM.
During his interaction with students, PM Modi encouraged them to see failures as learning experiences and emphasized the role of technology in education.
"A student's life does not stop if they fail an exam. One must decide whether they want to succeed in life or books... You should turn your failures into your teachers... You are fortunate to be born in an era of technology, and our focus should be to understand technology and utilize it optimally," he said.
He also highlighted the need for holistic development beyond textbooks. "...Students are not robots. We study for our holistic development... Students cannot grow if they are trapped in books... Students need to do their favourite activities; only then can they perform well in exams... One should not live with the mentality that exams are everything... One should gain as much knowledge as possible but not think that exams are everything... One should develop a habit of writing," the Prime Minister added.
Additionally, PM Modi stressed the importance of allowing children to explore their passions freely. "Kids should not be confined. They need the freedom to explore their passion. Knowledge and exams are two different things," he said.
The Pariksha Pe Charcha event was streamed on various platforms, including the Prime Minister and PMO’s X profile and the PM’s YouTube channel.