At Government Girls’ Secondary School, Gurgaon. Manoj Kumar At Government Girls’ Secondary School, Gurgaon. Manoj Kumar By Roshan Sageer & Sanjana Surbhi At 11 am, the auditorium of The Indian School, Chirag Delhi — the space officials use for nursery admissions — filled up with students of classes VII and VIII. With some wary, some excited and some oblivious to why they were dragged there, students sat down on the floor. “Koi film dikhayenge lagta hai,” said one of the 350-odd 11-year-olds, who had gathered. Her friend corrected her. “No, the PM is going to speak to us… about how to deal with studies. That’s what Ma said.” Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech ‘Pariksha Par Charcha’ was aired for the students here — and at all CBSE-affiliated schools in the city. As Modi highlighted how “exams should be about pleasure, not pressure”, 11-year-old Bhuvi Kashyap said: “It resonates. I think if the PM thinks we should not take so much stress, that’s a great thing.” At Shaheed Hemu Kalani Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Lajpat Nagar, about 400 of the 1,400 students were present to watch the live broadcast from 11.45 am to 1.30 pm. “Hearing the PM’s speech made me laugh and has allowed me to relax a bit. Much of what he said is what happens to me every day. I knew about all that he said, but never bothered to take note of these things,” said Manu Kumar, a Class XII student. “We used projectors to screen the speech,” says Amit Sharma, a faculty. Apart from a large auditorium, arrangements were also made to screen the programme at two classrooms, for students at the primary and secondary levels. “I come from a middle-class family, and face a lot of pressure to do well in my exams. After hearing the PM’s speech, I hope my parents understand my perspective,” said Shaid Rahman, a Class XI student at the school. Satish Kumar, a faculty at the school, said Modi’s advice was not limited to students alone. “Such sessions are equally important for teachers, as they too face a lot of pressure to ensure that students do well in exams. Only when we understand their minds can we better help them.” Back at The Indian School, Samarbir Singh (11) said, “The PM thinks self-confidence is the key to success… It will be hard, but I think I am going to implement this theory in my life now.” For all the latest Delhi News, download Indian Express App

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