According to officials, in a shift from the traditional town hall format, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took 35 students to Sunder Nursery this year and interacted with them on a host of issues related to exams and stress management.
The eighth edition of the prime minister's annual 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' (PPC) is set to be held in a different format with renowned personalities like actor Deepika Padukone, boxer MC Mary Kom and spiritual leader Sadhguru sharing their experiences and knowledge with students on key aspects of life and learning.
According to officials, in a shift from the traditional town hall format, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took 35 students to Sunder Nursery this year and interacted with them on a host of issues related to exams and stress management.
PPC, scheduled on February 10, will feature eight episodes where these experts will talk to students and be part of their journey from becoming exam "worriers" to "warriors".
The first interaction with the prime minister will be telecast on Doordarshan, Swayam, Swayam Prabha, PMO YouTube channel and social media channels of ministries of Education and Information and Broadcasting at 11 am.
"Pariksha Pe Charcha is back and that too in a fresh and livelier format! Urging all #ExamWarriors, their parents and teachers to watch #PPC2025, consisting of 8 very interesting episodes covering different aspects of stress-free exams!" Modi said in a post on X, sharing a video showing glimpses of the interaction.
The 35 students from across states and union territories were selected from state board government schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, CBSE and Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Groups of up to 100 students each interacted with the other renowned personalities roped in for the initiative -- Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara, badminton player Suhas Yathiraj, nutritionists Rujuta Diwekar and Sonali Sabherwal, health influencer Food Pharmer, actors Vikrant Massey and Bhumi Pednekar, YouTuber Technical Guru ji and Radhika Gupta.
"The renowned personalities from diverse fields will share their experiences and knowledge, guiding students on key aspects of life and learning, in 7 subsequent episodes of PPC.
“Students participating in these sessions were also drawn through a process of selection from the states and union territories, different educational organisations and national-level school competitions," an official said.
While sports stars M C Mary Kom, Lekhara and Yathiraj will talk about goal setting, resilience and stress management through discipline, Deepika Padukone will discuss the importance of emotional well-being and self-expression.
Nutritionists Diwekar and Sabherwal will highlight the role of healthy eating habits and quality sleep in academic success. Health influencer Revant Himatsingka, known as Food Farmer, will provide insights into leading a healthy lifestyle.
Gaurav Chaudhary (Technical Guruji) and Radhika Gupta will highlight technology as a tool for smarter learning and financial literacy. Massey and Pednekar will inspire students to visualise and release negative thoughts, fostering a positive mindset.
Sadhguru will share practical mindfulness techniques to help students maintain mental clarity and focus.
"Toppers of various exams like UPSC, IIT-JEE, CLAT, CBSE, NDA and ICSE, etc. along with participants from previous editions of PPC will share how Pariksha Pe Charcha influenced their preparation strategies and kept them motivated," the official said.
PPC is an annual event in which Modi interacts with students appearing for board examinations. During the event, he also answers students' queries related to exam stress and other issues.
The first edition of the prime minister's interactive programme with school and college students was held at the Talkatora Stadium in February 2018.
Its seventh edition was held in a town hall format at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, engaging participants from across the country and overseas.