Screening of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026’ held at PM Shri Deorali Senior Secondary School

GANGTOK, (IPR):The screening of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026’ was held today at PM Shri Deorali Senior Secondary School in the presence of Education minister Raju Basnet as the chief guest and minister-cum-Area MLAArun Upreti as the special guest.

‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ is an annual event organised by the Government of India since 2018, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students, teachers and parents to discuss exam-related stress and life beyond academics. The platform highlights the importance of holistic learning and overall development.

The ninth edition, held at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi, saw the Prime Minister share anecdotes with students on academics and the value of pursuing extracurricular activities and holistic learning. He stressed the importance of practical knowledge such as life and professional skills, which should be given equal importance to theoretical knowledge. Addressing exam-related stress, he stated that examinations are only a part of life that test a student’s preparation. He also encouraged reading biographies of public figures to learn how to deal with setbacks and make a comeback.

Among the 37 participating students in this year’s edition, Shriya Pradhan, a class X student and school prefect of Government New Secondary School, Namchi, represented the State.

In his keynote address, Raju Basnet shared details about the registration process for ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, stating that registrations open in December, followed by scrutiny and selection of participants. He emphasised that skill-based learning is as important as theoretical knowledge in today’s context. He informed that the Government of Sikkim will soon introduce practical and professional skills through workshops at PM Shri Schools in the initial phase. He added that NEET and JEE coaching classes have already been introduced by the government to promote professional education. Since 2025, the Chief Minister’s Mentorship Scheme has focused on improving Class X board examination results through intensive mentoring.

He commended PM Shri Deorali Senior Secondary School for achieving an excellent pass percentage of 98.55 percent in class X and 98.86 percent in class XII during the previous year. Emphasising the importance of creativity leading to innovation, he highlighted the role of youth in realising the vision of Viksit Sikkim se Viksit Bharat 2047. He reiterated the Prime Minister’s advice on managing exam stress and learning from setbacks.

Speaking on Chief Minister’s Model School, Assam Lingzey, which has been operational for a year, he stated that the institution focuses on inculcating and strengthening one life skill, one vocational skill and one sport of the student’s choice from a very young age so that students are equipped with necessary skills later in life.

Scholarships under the Chief Minister’s Merit Scholarship Scheme were also presented today, for which 90 students were selected for the current batch. He stated that the scheme helps develop the potential of students.

Of the 90 students, 65 have been admitted to Chief Minister’s Model School, Assam Lingzey, five to TNA, 10 to Scindia Kendra Vidyalaya, Gwalior, and 10 students of class IX and above to Pinegrove School, Himachal Pradesh.

The Principal of PM Shri Deorali Senior Secondary School, Ms Anita Kaphley, delivered the welcome address, while the vote of thanks was proposed by Joint Director, Scholarship Section, Education Department, Ms PempaLhamu Bhutia.

The programme was also attended by Chairman, Student Welfare Board, Mr Sonam Chopel; Principal Secretary, Education Department, Mr Sandeep Tambe; Secretary, Higher Education, Education Department, Mr TashiChopel Lepcha; Director, Chief Minister’s Model School, Mr Ujjwal Khatiwada; senior officers from the Education Department; teaching and non-teaching staff of various schools; and parents of the scholarship awardees.