NEW DELHI: From marks anxiety to gaming ambitions, PM Modi used Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 to tell students not to believe life was a single-subject exam. Whether the debate is between “skills vs marks” or “studies vs gaming”, balance, discipline and purpose will always hold them in good stead. Responding to students torn between competing advice, Modi said: “There should be balance in everything.” He explained that skills are not one category. “There are two types of skills – life skills and professional skills,” he said, adding: “Education and skills are twin siblings. They are not separate.” Modi underlined that knowledge matters, but practice turns learning into capability. “Books impart knowledge, but only practice makes you professionally skilled,” he said, telling students that real expertise is built through doing – whether in medicine, law, robotics or any other field. When a student spoke about building a future in gaming despite social criticism, Modi encouraged treating it as a skill – not a distraction. Parents may scold at first, he said, but success changes the script: “Your success becomes their honour.” He suggested creating games rooted in Indian stories like Panchatantra and using social media to get feedback and improve. But he drew a red line on gambling. Gaming for betting or mindless timepass, he warned, is destructive. Gaming as a skill, however, builds speed, alertness and creativity – and should be honed with quality work. The Prime Minister also pushed collaborative learning as a practical way to improve. “Collaborative learning helps everyone improve,” Modi said, asking students to teach classmates who struggle and also spend time with those who are sharper to cross-check their own understanding. It brings “double benefit”, he said – better clarity and new ideas. On the common class XII dilemma – board exams plus competitive tests – Modi acknowledged students’ stress and compared it to trying to play cricket and football at the same time. His advice was clear: “You’ll have to give first priority to 12th.” If a student truly absorbs the school syllabus, he said, competitive exams will follow naturally as a by-product. He also nudged parents to ease pressure and trust their child’s pace, advising them to “allow children to blossom according to their capacity, ability and interest.”