Narendra Modi to hold online Pariksha Pe Charcha owing to rise in COVID-19 cases

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that his annual interaction with students ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ will be held on 7 April in a new virtual format. “A new format, several interesting questions on a wide range of subjects and a memorable discussion with our brave #ExamWarriors, parents and teachers. Watch ‘‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’’ at 7 pm on 7 April,” the prime minister tweeted. Along with his tweet, he also tagged a video on the event in which highlights of this year’s ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ are elaborated upon. “We have been living under the shadow of coronavirus for the last one year and because of that I have to forego the charm of meeting you in person and have to be with you in a new format – the first virtual edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’,” Modi says in the video. He also urges students to look upon exams as an opportunity and not as an end of life’s dreams. A voice-over in the video says that the prime minister will speak with children as a friend and also interact with teachers and parents during the virtual event. Modi also talks about the pressure of what people and parents will say which sometimes becomes a burden. In the video, the prime minister also says that this is ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ but is not confined to just a discussion on ‘Pariksha’ or exams. In February, it was announced that Prime Minister Modi’s annual interaction with students will be held online this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition of the prime minister’s interaction programme with school and college students ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 1.0’ was held at the Talkatora Stadium on 16 February, 2018.