PM Narendra Modi's address to the nation on Teachers' Day

Nation building should become national movement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that nation building should become a national movement and every individual should be associated with it. Addressing students on Teachers' Day, Modi said, " if every individual associates himself with the task of nation building, "we can go very far".

He said people who had achieved something in life and taken to a profession such as doctors and engineers should teach students in a school for one period in a week. "There is need to make nation building into national movement.

There is need to associate everyone. The emphasis should be on how should be the national character," he said. Modi also said he did not feel that adverse situations can come in the way of ambition of a determined individual.

Why we celebrate Teacher's Day on 5th September

I am not a headmaster, but taskmaster.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he works hard and is a "taskmaster". Responding to a student on Teachers' Day, Modi said: "Yes, I am a taskmaster and it is not that I myself do not work and take work from others." He was answering the question: "People say you are like a headmaster but you appear to us as friendly. What kind of person are you?" Modi added that he works hard and expects the same from others.

I have to be more careful of my words as PM.

Narendra Modi said he has to be more careful of his words now that he is the prime minister. Addressing millions of students on Teachers' Day, the prime minister, in an answer to a question from a student, said his life has become very busy since he became the prime minister.

"When I was chief minister, I did not have to care much about what I was speaking, but now I have to be careful so that whatever I say does not cause harm to the nation. I remain conscious of what I say," the prime minister said. He also said that because of his long stint as chief minister of Gujarat, he did not find the role of prime minister very different.

Teaching is not a profession, a way of life: Narendara Modi

Cleanliness should be part of character building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he needed help from every school in the task of building toilets for children, and cleanliness should be part of efforts at character building. Addressing students on Teachers' Day, Modi recalled his recent visit to Japan and said he was told by an "Indian family" that students and teachers there together clean and mop up toilets.

"They said it was part of character building. How do we build national character," Modi said. Referring to his Independence Day speech in which he referred to absence of toilets in some schools, particularly for the girls, Modi said it was a very important task. "I need help from every school. An atmosphere should be created," he said.

Play and sweat a lot, read biographies.

"You should play and sweat a lot, at least four times a day. Promise you will do it," was the exhortation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to children across the nation. The prime minister also exhorted students to read biographies of people and books on subjects they like.

He asked the students - "How many of you play a lot and sweat four times a day?" When most smiled and laughed saying they did not play so much, the prime minister said: "At least four times a day you should sweat a lot, promise you will do it." To which, the students responded with a loud "Yes".

He also asked the students to read biographies, saying it would take them close to history. "Please read biographies, then we will reach near to history. You can read different biographies" of people in sports, trade, films, science, he said. "This should be our endeavour. We get information nowadays, and not gyan (knowledge)," the prime minister said.

How can teachers motivate their students?

Why don't students want to be teachers anymore

Addressing millions of students and teachers across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi that there is need to find out why the value of a teacher has lost its sheen and why students don't want to be teachers when they grow up. In a first such address to the nation, the prime minister said there is a great demand for good teachers in the world, and India being a young country should be able to produce good quality teachers for the world. It is necessary to highlight the value of teachers in society."

"There is need to give more value to this important tradition, and it needs more discussion why students don't want to be teachers. The answer to this has to be sought by all. There is a great demand for good teachers in the world, they are not available. India is a young country, why can't we give the promise that India will provide good teachers to the world. And students should say that yes I will be a teacher."

Inputs from IANS