Go after knowledge not just marks: Union minister to students

Union minister P P Chaudhary today told students to focus on acquiring knowledge rather than "merely run after marks".

At a function here to felicitate the top rank holders of the six categories of Olympiad exam, for class 4 to 12, conducted by Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) during the academic year 2017-18, he exhorted students to be imaginative and indulge in activities to keep their mind engaged.

Chaudhary, the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, in his address, also quoted from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book Exam Warriors, saying, "Exams are like festivals, celebrate it... Exams are not a test of you, but a test of your preparations."

"The effort should be to acquire more knowledge rather then running merely after marks. The focus should be on seeking knowledge rather than good marks as shown in the famous movie '3 Idiots," he said.

 

"Imagination is the sole characteristic of humans across the living world as we know it no machine or animal possesses it, and is critical to develop broader thinking. There is no field which is not touched by imagination, be it science or arts or public policy and government administration," the minister said.

He applauded the excellence in academics by the students and schools and motivated them to continue excelling.

Chaudhary said routine life is incapable of providing solutions.

"Solutions are found when one spends time observing, daydreaming and imagining. These are not negative traits per se. Positive employment of mind in observation, daydreaming and imagination help to create new and efficient solutions to problems. Re-interpretation of ideas, old and new, leads to innovation," he said.

However, observing, daydreaming and imagination should not induce inactivity, Chaudhary warned.

"Pick up anything that interests you; it could be photography, cooking, writing, dancing, digital art, magic, sculpting or even stand-up comedy," he said.

Mahabir Singh, the founder and director of SOF, shared that "over 45,000 schools from 1,400 cities across 30 countries participated in the six SOF Olympiad exams during 2017-18 and millions of students appeared in them. About 55,000 students from 5,850 schools have been awarded for achieving top state level rank.