The eighth edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ programme, on Thursday focused on the impact of technology on students’ lives, discussing whether it serves as a helpful tool or a distraction.
The session featured Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, and Gaurav Chaudhary, popularly known as Technical Guruji, a renowned YouTuber and tech influencer.
The session was moderated by Sharat Bhattatiripad, who posed a crucial question to students: Is technology a friend or foe? The discussion revolved around whether technology enhances academic preparation or serves as a distraction.
During the discussion, Gaurav Chaudhary emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between technology use and reality.
“Technology has made our lives easier. Over time, our dependency on technology has increased. I personally do not like this trend. AI is affecting our creativity. We should sideline technology at times to truly enjoy life in reality,” he said.
He also addressed the excessive use of social media, emphasizing the need to live in the moment rather than constantly documenting it.
“Usually, when we are eating, everyone first wants to take a picture of the food to post on social media. And I’m like, ‘The food is getting cold!’ So, I think to truly enjoy life, we should sometimes put technology aside,” he remarked.
When asked about accountability in AI decision-making, Chaudhary pointed out that AI should be seen as an assistant, rather than a replacement for human judgment.
“AI should be considered as an assistant that can perform tasks, but we should assign only as much work to AI as would not cause major losses. We should not give AI too much power,” he said.
Since 2018, PM Modi has been hosting ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ to interact with students, teachers, and parents and offer guidance on stress-free exam preparation.
The event is organized by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
The first three editions of the program were held in New Delhi in an interactive town hall format. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth edition was conducted virtually.
However, the subsequent editions returned to a physical format at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi.
The latest edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ was broadcast across multiple platforms, including the Prime Minister’s official X profile, PMO’s X handle, and the PM’s YouTube channel, reaching a wide audience of students and educators across the nation.