Concentrate on present, be confident: Modi to students

New Delhi, February 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday asked students to concentrate on their "present moment" and not on the past or future.

Giving tips to students who will be appearing for their Class 10 and 12 examinations starting next week, the prime minister said they must "live in the present moment... you will certainly do well" in the examination.

In his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, the prime minister said "thinking about the past or future does not help" and gave the example of a cricket player who is on the field to face a ball.

"Will he think how did he play in the last match or how will he play in his next? No, he has to concentrate on the ball being thrown to him," he said.

Modi told students they must not get nervous unnecessarily and attempt the "easy questions" first. "Your teachers and others must have told you this, but I too would say that easy questions must be attempted first," he said in his radio address.

"Be confident of yourself, whatever you have studied throughout the year would certainly come back to you as you attempt the question paper," he said.

Modi also called upon students not to take examinations to prove a point to somebody, instead to assess yourself. "Take the exams for yourself. You don't have to prove a point to someone else," he said.

The prime minister also advised the students not to waste their time on thinking who wished them luck before the exams and who did not. "Don't waste your time on these issues, instead be confident and you will do well," he said.

IANS