PM Modi urges teachers to tackle excessive screen time, drug addiction among students; says ‘preserve childhood’
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, September 5, 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged teachers to look beyond students’ academic performance and play a more active role in addressing challenges such as excessive screen time and drug addiction, while stressing the need to preserve childhood and nurture curiosity among children.
Interacting with 82 National Teachers’ Award winners at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Modi said teachers should remain attentive to changes in students’ behaviour and their lives outside the classroom.
Highlighting the growing concern over excessive use of mobile phones and other digital devices, the Prime Minister encouraged teachers to discuss children’s screen habits with their parents, including whether they continue using mobile phones late into the night.
He suggested that children could gradually move away from excessive screen use by developing interests in sports, physical games and creative activities.
Modi also asked teachers to remain vigilant about possible signs of drug use among students and help children who may be struggling with addiction. He emphasised that educators have responsibilities extending beyond teaching the prescribed syllabus.
The Prime Minister said teachers should work to preserve childhood and nurture children’s natural curiosity, rather than focusing only on academic results.
He also pointed to changes in family structures, including the decline of traditional joint families, and said this has increased the importance of teachers in guiding and supporting children.
Referring to the National Education Policy, Modi encouraged teachers to take students beyond conventional classroom learning and connect education with real-world experiences and practical skills. He also stressed the importance of inculcating values such as dignity of labour.
The interaction also had a lighter moment when one of the award-winning teachers told Modi that she felt nervous because of his “aura”. Responding in a humorous vein, the Prime Minister asked whether having an aura was therefore a disadvantage for a public speaker and sought the teacher’s advice on improving his own public-speaking skills.
The 82 awardees included 48 teachers from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 teachers and faculty members from higher educational institutions and polytechnics, and 13 skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The teachers shared their experiences and innovative methods used to make learning more engaging and effective during the interaction.