New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on India’s students to control their screen time and move away from being obsessed with gadgets, using an annual interaction with school children to urge parents and teachers to stop burdening young people with expectations and ease the pressure on pupils.

Interacting with students at the annual Pariksha Pe Charcha event in Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium, the PM also asked students to eschew unfair means in examinations, differentiated between smart work and hard work, underlined the importance of criticism, weighed in against corporal punishment, and said there was more to life than exams.

“As per a study, the average screen time for an Indian is up to six hours. In such a situation gadget enslaves us…One should not avoid technology but restrict oneself to the things of utility as per one’s need,” the PM said, while responding to queries of students on online gaming and social media addiction.

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He suggested that students observe “technology fasting” at regular intervals, and demarcate an area as a technology-free zone in every household. “This will lead to the enhanced joy of life and you will come out of the clutches of slavery of gadgets.”

Pariksha pe Charcha — where Modi interacts with students, teachers and parents ahead of the board examinations, and responds to questions posed by students — has been organised since 2018.

The event was attended by 2,000 students from classes 9 to 12, and teachers and parents from across the country. The event was also attended virtually by thousands of students. Around 3.88 million students, teachers and parents from 155 countries had registered to participate.

Addressing the query of some students — including Ashwini, a Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) student from Madurai, Navtej, a KV student from Pitampura in Delhi, and Priyanka Kumari from Navin Balika School in Patna — on how to deal with the expectations of family, the PM said that there was nothing inherently wrong with family expectations but if such hopes were linked to social status, then it was a cause for concern.

Giving the example of the game of cricket where the crowd keeps on rooting for fours and sixes, the PM said a batter who goes out to bat remains unperturbed even after many spectators plead for a six or a four. “The pressure of expectations can be obliterated if you remain focused,” he said, while urging parents to not burden their kids with expectations and asking the students to evaluate themselves according to their potential.

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Addressing questions about not knowing where to start exam preparations, Modi asked students to prioritise time management, with or without exams. “While allocating time to a subject, one should take up the least interesting or most difficult subject when the mind is fresh. Instead of forcing one’s way through, students should tackle the complexities with a relaxed mindset,” he said.

Responding to a question raised by a student from Kozhikode about hard work versus smart work, the PM highlighted the parable of the thirsty crow who dropped stones in a pitcher to bring the water up and quench his thirst. Modi emphasised the need to closely analyse and understand the work and stressed that one had to work hard, smartly. “Every work should be first examined thoroughly… Everything cannot be achieved with hard labour,” he remarked.

Some students, including Jovita Patra from Gurugram, asked about doing well in exams as an “average student”. Modi appreciated the need for having a realistic assessment of oneself, and said that appropriate goals and skills should be set by the student. “Knowing one’s potential makes a person very capable,” he added.

While responding to queries on how he deals with the criticism, Modi said he believed in the principle that criticism was a “purification yajna” and the “root condition of a prospering democracy”. He asked parents not to get into the habit of interrupting their kids and focus on “constructive criticism”.

Modi said that the main reason for stress after exams was not accepting the truth if the exam did not go well. He also mentioned competition among students as a “stress-inducing factor” and suggested that children should live and learn from themselves and their surroundings while strengthening their inner capabilities. “One exam is not the end of life and overthinking about the results should not become a thing of everyday life,” he said.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness when some students, including Rupesh Kashyap, a Class 9 student from Bastar, asked about ways of avoiding unfair means. Terming it a “dangerous trend”, he asked students to refrain from wasting time in finding ways to cheat and spend that time in learning. “Life cannot be successful with cheating. You may clear an exam or two but it will remain questionable in life,” he added.

He also advised parents to encourage their children to travel after their exams and record their experiences. He concluded his address by urging parents, teachers and guardians to ease the stressful environment during exams. “The exam will be transformed into a celebration filling the lives of students with enthusiasm, and it is this enthusiasm that will guarantee the excellence of students,” he said.

Students said that the tips will help them during their upcoming exams. Aditi Sharma, a Class 10 student from Gurugram, said, “The PM has suggested that we work smartly and identify our potential. I will focus on each and every piece of advice he has given us today while preparing for exams from now on.”