New Delhi, 20 Jan (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised the student community to approach exams with self-confidence rather than with stress. He was responding to queries from the student community at the Pariksha Pe Charcha event at the Talkatora Stadium here on Monday.

Two students said that they tend to forget everything when they see the question paper during examinations, and asked the prime minister for a solution.

Responding to their query, the Prime Minister reminded the gathering as to how people shake their two-wheeler before starting it. "It's not scientific but everybody does it. Tennis players warm up. Why do they do? It creates a comfort zone for them." he said.

Stating that everyone has their own way of creating comfort zones for themselves, the Prime Minister advised students to compose themselves for a moment after getting the question paper. Then everything will come back into focus, he said.

The Prime Minister advised students to approach the exams with confidence. "If you go with stress, it will go against you. Go with self-confidence. Select the easiest question answer it first.

"Taking the easier things first accustoms you and gives you confidence." the Prime Minister advised the student community.

Around 2,000 students, from across India, are participating in the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme. Of these, 1,050 students have been selected on the basis of their entries in an essay competition that was held as part of Pariksha Pe Charcha. The event is an initiative by the Prime Minister to rid exam tensions in the student community.

The HRD Ministry along with MyGov had conducted the short essay competition on five themes for children studying in classes 9 to 12.

Four students hosted the live program which included a direct interaction between the prime minister and the audience comprising students, teachers and parents.