Share phone passcodes with family, no gadget during dinner: PM Modi's mantra for students

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday suggested parents to set certain rules and regulations like creating "no gadget zones in house" and "no gadgets during dinner" and sharing the passcodes of all mobile phone in their homes with every member to establish transparency.

Interacting with students, teachers and parents during seventh edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' held here at Bharat Mandapam, the prime minister said that technology should not be considered a burden but it is mandatory to learn how to use it to one's advantage.

"Parents should formulate a set of rules and regulations in the family like no electronic gadgets during dinner and creating no gadget zones in the house. In today's world, one cannot run away from technology. It should not be considered a burden but it is mandatory to learn its effective usage," he said.

The Prime Minister suggested students educate their parents about technology being a resource for education and also recommended sharing phone passcodes within family. "This would prevent a lot of evils." The PM also advised students to monitor screen time through apps.

Interacting with the PM, Chandresh Jain, a parent from Pune, raised concerns about the intrusion of technology in students' live, while Kumari Puja Srivastava, a parent from Ramgarh in Jharkhand, asked him how to manage studies with the abundance of social media platforms to distract them.

Abhinav Rana, a student from TR DAV School in Himachal Pradesh, asked him how to beat exam stress.

"Excess of anything is bad," the Prime Minister said, comparing excess mobile phone usage with home-cooked meals which when taken in excess can lead to stomach problems and other issues, even though it is rich in nutrients.