PM Modi As Headmaster

De-stress PM Modi at the fifth edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ in New Delhi, Apr. 1

-  Anilesh S. Mahajan

On April 1, Prime Minister Nar­endra Modi held a townhall meeting at the national capital’s Talkatora Stadium with 1,000­ odd students gearing up to take second­ ary school exams. Modelled on ‘Chai Pe Charcha’, Modi’s video outreach to adult audiences, the programme is called ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ and has been an annual event since 2018. From students to beneficiaries of social sector schemes, from party MPs and cadre to bureaucrats and officials, it’s unlikely the country has seen a prime minister who likes to engage directly—and visibly—with so many social groupings. Nehru, of course, did so...but that was the pre­amplification era, so the ‘Modi effect’ is all­ new.

From explaining the benefits of central schemes to beneficiaries to relieving student stress, from shaking errant bureaucrats out of their slumber to ticking off errant BJP MPs and coaching partymen about what messages to carry to the people, he does it all—and incessantly. Of course, a lot of this also has to do with the fact that the BJP is already remounting its election army to ready for 2024. No Indian prime minister has won three elections on the trot except, again, Nehru.