Spiritual leader and Isha Foundation chief Jaggi Vasudev or Sadhguru told students that they have to be smarter than their smart phones, while urging them to not treat exams as a “challenge to their intelligence”.

Speaking to students during Pariksha Pe Charcha, he said that exams are just a step to evaluate if students are fit to go to the next step of education. “If you look at the grass or that motorcycle, you should think what is the physics, math and chemistry of it. Educations gives you fundamentals and eventually an access to life. To find this access, one aspect is active dynamic intelligence,” he said.

Addressing a student’s query on addiction to social media and the phone, he said that a person should decide how to use a smart phone, not the other way round. He also said that there is no such thing as overthinking, as one must think beyond to be able to do something worthwhile. “You may call it stress or anxiety, but the problem is that you don’t know how to keep your mind aligned. What is not well aligned will cause friction, further causing stress,” Sadhguru said.

Emphasising the power of meditation, the spiritual leader said studies have shown that when the Shambhavi Mahamudra is practiced, a large part of the brain lights up. “This is what needs to happen, that everything is lit up. The more you activate your intelligence, the more access you have to everything that you see. If you body is well-exercised, you can function better. Then why is that not true with your mental faculties?” he asked.

Sadhguru also warned against comparing the intelligence of people. “Am I as intelligent as this person or that person? There is no such thing. It’s a farce that’s been spread in the world. Everybody can sparkle and do things that others cannot imagine. Only thing is, because there is no striving, that sparkle doesn’t happen,” he told students.

Nutrition and health experts Shonali Sabherwal, Rujuta Diwekar and Revant Himatsingka shed light on the importance of healthy eating habits and the crucial role of quality sleep in academic success during a special session of Pariksha Pe Charcha.

On Wednesday, actor Deepika Padukone shared tips on stress management while opening up about her own struggles with depression.

Pariksha Pe Charcha is an annual event in which Modi interacts with students appearing for board examinations. During this, he also answers students’ queries related to exam stress and other issues.