‘Discard slave mentality’: PM Modi links ‘swadeshi’ lifestyle and AI skills to exam success in first-ever multi-city Pariksha Pe Charcha

He asked students to make a list of all the things they use in a day. “Even the comb and shoes will be foreign. You should decide that in a month, when things become old, you will replace them with Indian products. Within a year, foreign products will disappear, and you will have Indian ones. You need to decide that, in your life, in your family, and on your body, you will try to ensure that products are Indian. If we don’t respect the products of our country, will the rest of the world?”

A wonderful discussion with students on approaching exams with confidence and positivity. Do watch this very special episode of Pariksha Pe Charcha!#ParikshaPeCharcha26 https://t.co/k7IN79qvek

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 6, 2026

On the goal of Viksit Bharat, Modi said: “Mahatma Gandhi returned from Africa in 1915 and began the freedom struggle. From 1915 to 1947, he was focused on freedom, and freedom arrived. Bhagat Singh stepped onto the gallows at a young age. But he sowed the dream of freedom. The dream that was seen 25-30 years before independence…those who made sacrifices then and got freedom…can we get Viksit Bharat also?”

‘Education shouldn’t be a compulsion or a burden’

In the episode, the students were given the Assamese gamosa – a traditional red-and-white handwoven cloth. “It’s a symbol of women’s empowerment in Assam and the Northeast. It is made at home,” Modi said, pointing to why students were given the cloth.

On whether skills or marks are more important, Modi said: “There must be a balance in everything. If you lean towards one thing, you will fall. There are two types of skills—life skills and professional skills. You should pay attention to both. Without learning, securing knowledge and observing, can you pick up a skill? …Education and skill are twin siblings. The two are not separate. Skills are very important in life.”

In the episode, the students were given the Assamese gamosa – a traditional red-and-white handwoven cloth. (ANI Photo)

He added that education is a tool to build one’s life. “Education shouldn’t be a compulsion or a burden. We should be fully involved in it. Half-hearted learning will not make life successful,” he said.

With a student saying that he was interested in gaming, Modi said: “Make a social media profile, make your game and launch it…Interest in games is good. Don’t hesitate…one shouldn’t get into gambling, don’t allow that to happen…Gaming is a skill. There’s speed. It’s also good for one’s development. You should build your expertise with the best quality games.”

This year’s Pariksha Pe Charcha edition also entails the Prime Minister’s interaction with students in four locations other than his residence in Delhi – Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Dev Mogra in Gujarat, and Guwahati in Assam – “covering the East, West, North, South and Centre of the country,” according to a communication from the Education Ministry.

These interactions are to be aired in another episode. In previous years, the interaction has remained in Delhi.