Modi: Budget is my exam, I’m confident

On the eve of the Union Budget being presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought to motivate students appearing in the board examinations starting on Tuesday by saying that he too has an “examination” on February 29.

Mr Modi, in his monthly radio talk show “Mann Ki Baat”, for which he even roped in sports icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Vishwanathan Anand, said: “I have an exam tomorrow (February 29, the presentation of the Union Budget).” He admitted to feeling “tension” sometimes, but added that he was “full of confidence” ahead of his “examination” by 125 crore people, a trait which he wanted students to emulate as they appear for their Class 10 and 12 examinations starting Tuesday.

The PM emphasised that students should appear for the exams with a “positive approach” having free and calm mind without any anxiety.

He also urged parents not to put any pressure on them. In this context, he cited his example in the context of the presentation of the Budget, which all countrymen closely monitor and analyse.

“Friends, your exams are starting. I too have an exam tomorrow. The country’s 125 crore people are going to take my examination,” the PM said, pointing out that the Budget is being presented on February 29.

“But you must have seen how healthy I am feeling, how full of confidence I am. Let my exams take place tomorrow and yours the day after, and may all of us succeed so that the nation succeeds... Move ahead with a free mind, without any tension of success or failure,” he said in his 35-minute programme.

To lay stress on a positive and tension-free approach, Mr Modi roped in iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and chess wizard Vishwanathan Anand, besides Bharat Ratna scientist C.N.R. Rao and spiritual leader Murari Bapu, whose messages were played during the programme. They gave their own examples of how they approached their exams in their respective fields, keeping tension aside.

He also invoked Thomas Alva Edison, who invented electricity, and J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame, saying their success had possibly come after many failures.

Underlining that a “positive approach” and a “positive frame of mind” help in all aspects of life, Mr Modi talked about himself and said when he comes across some issues which he is not familiar with, he concentrates on dealing with them.

“Sometimes I feel tension within. Then I feel that I should relax a bit so that I feel good. So I have developed my own technique. I do some deep breathing. I take a deep breath three times, five times. It may take a few seconds but my mind becomes ready to deal with the situation with a calm mind. This may be my experience, but this may help you too,” he told the students.

Mr Modi, a practitioner of yoga, also referred to this art and said how it helps to improve concentration and to strengthen one’s inner peace. “There is success in failure too” if there is a positive approach, he said, while asking students to have dedication, determination and diligence to achieve success.