Varanasi, Feb 22 (IANS): One must keep alive and nurture the 'student' in oneself as a vital impulse to attaining one's life's goals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted the scholars at the Banaras Hindu University here on Monday.

"Jigyasa (curiosity) is very important. If there is no jigyasa, then there is stagnation," Modi said, addressing the convocation ceremony of the university.

He told the students to take full advantage of the opportunities for learning and development that university life provides before they step into the outside world.

"It seems really easy when you are in the four walls of the university, but as you go out and start leading life on your own lots of things which one must not have paid attention to would come back to mind," he said.

The prime minister also told the students that people "would support you while you study" but there would be questions soon after one graduates from the university.

"Until I was studying, people, including my teachers and relatives, would give me a pat on my back, saying 'good work, keep it up', but the moment I was out they started asking 'what is your plan, what would you do now'," Modi said, adding that learning must be taken seriously.