The “Pariksha Pe Charcha” initiative, launched in India to reduce exam stress among students and make learning enjoyable, has now become a major public participation initiative. What began as a conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and students in 2018 has now expanded to include millions of students, parents, and teachers. In 2025, the program set a Guinness World Record when over 35.3 million people registered to participate in a single month. Its total reach exceeded 210 million viewers, including those from Indian schools abroad. The program conveys to students that exams are not the ultimate goal of life, but merely a stage in the learning journey.

The Prime Minister repeatedly emphasizes that exams only measure your preparation at a particular moment, while learning is continuous and enjoyable. The National Education Policy 2020 deeply emphasizes the concept of “lifelong learning.” A key objective of this program is that percentage of marks cannot define a child’s entire personality. Children should be encouraged to go beyond textbooks and learn different skills, try new activities, and view challenges as opportunities rather than fears.

Mental health has been given special importance in this initiative. Experts are introducing students to simple ways to reduce stress, including the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, healthy routines like adequate sleep, water, exercise, and meditation. 5-4-3-2-1 is a sensory-based meditation practice designed to calm racing thoughts by using all five senses and eventually narrowing them down to one. Doing so shifts your focus from anxious thoughts to the present moment. This technique was developed by Betty Ellis Erikson in the 18th century. Many sports figures have shared their experiences, stating that sports do not hinder studies, but rather help reduce stress and maintain focus.

The increasing use of digital media has raised concerns that it is causing cognitive decline and adversely affecting mental health. There are 5.66 billion digital media profiles worldwide. People spend 15 billion hours per day viewing content on digital media platforms, equivalent to more than 1.7 million years of human life. Excessive use is leading to the rise of ‘digital dementia,’ which causes a loss of gray matter in areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and impulse control. We are in no position to simply reject digital media, so we must set healthy limits on its use.

Technology experts have advised students to use mobile phones and digital devices in a controlled manner, so that technology becomes helpful, not a burden. The “Pariksha Pe Charcha” program also gives an important message to parents: they should not focus their children solely on marks, but on the learning process. Avoid comparing children with others and create an environment at home where children can openly share their fears, challenges, and hopes. Supportive parental behavior is most helpful in children’s exam preparation.

Indian educational philosophy considers the acquisition of knowledge not a solitary process but a shared path. The Pariksha Pe Charcha program urges teachers to move beyond the culture of rote learning and promote critical thinking and creativity. This program is in line with the vision of the National Education Policy, which emphasizes student-centered, stress-free, and experiential learning. The evaluation system needs to be transformed so that examinations measure understanding, application, and development, not just memorization. The use of digital platforms is also considered important to make education more accessible.

Schools and district-level education officials have been tasked with translating the initiative’s principles into reality. This includes establishing wellness committees in schools, conducting workshops on stress management and study skills, enhancing parent-teacher communication, and recognizing student achievement across multiple areas rather than just grades. To ensure this, it’s crucial to ensure resources like Exam Warriors, curated by the Prime Minister, reach every student. Ultimately, Pariksha Pe Charcha is not just a program, but a significant step towards positive change in the Indian education system. Its message is clear: exams are not a burden, but an opportunity to learn, grow, and understand oneself.