NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s student engagement initiative Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) returned in 2026 with record participation and a truly pan-India footprint. A snippet announcing the comeback was released on PM Modi’s YouTube channel.Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged directly with students from Delhi, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Dev Mogra in Gujarat and Guwahati in Assam. In the video PM can be seen talking to children and offering advice around studies and exams. He also seen sharing jokes with them. Many children can be seen sharing their excitement on meeting PM Modi with one, “Not even in my dream, did I think, PM Modi will himself come to meet us.”
The 2026 edition witnessed an overwhelming response, with more than 4.5 crore students registering for the programme. In addition, 2.26 crore individuals actively took part in the various activities organised in connection with PPC, bringing the total footprint of engagement to over 6.76 crore participants this year.The last eighth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha was telecast on February 10, 2025, in a new format from Sunder Nursery in New Delhi. The event brought together 36 students from every State and Union Territory, representing government schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, CBSE schools and Navodaya Vidyalayas. PRERANA alumni as well as winners of Kala Utsav and Veer Gatha also participated.The edition featured seven thematic episodes covering areas such as sports and discipline, mental health, nutrition, technology and finance, and creativity and positivity, with insights from noted personalities.In 2025, the programme set a Guinness World Record, with participation from students in over 245 countries, teachers from 153 countries and parents from 149 countries. Registrations rose to 3.56 crore in the eighth edition, up from 22,000 in its first edition in 2018. An additional 1.55 crore people joined PPC-related Jan Andolan activities, taking the total participation to nearly 5 crore.Pariksha Pe Charcha serves as a platform for students, teachers and parents to discuss exams, stress management and life skills, and has grown into a nationwide movement promoting a positive and confident approach to examinations, according to the Ministry of Education.
