PM Modi urges teachers to address excessive screen time, drug addiction among students

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with National Teachers Awards winners at his official residence in New Delhi. Photo: YouTube/@NarendraModi via PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged addressing children’s excessive screen time through sports and creative activities during a meeting with 82 National Award-winning teachers at his official residence on Friday (September 4, 2026).He urged teachers to preserve childhood and nurture children’s natural curiosity.The awardees include 48 teachers from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 teachers/faculty members from higher educational institutions and polytechnics, and 13 skill trainers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The awardees highlighted the experiences and innovations that have shaped their teaching journey. They shared several creative approaches adopted by them to make classroom learning more engaging and effective.PM Modi emphasised that teachers need to look beyond the academic performance of children and be attentive to their behaviour and everyday lives. He noted the decline of traditional joint families, highlighting the growing importance of teachers in children’s lives. He also called for teachers to be vigilant about changes in students related to drug use and to help those struggling with addiction.He emphasised that teachers play a vital role in preserving childhood innocence. By nurturing and guiding children’s inherent curiosity, teachers can greatly contribute to their development, he added.Highlighting the issue of excessive screen time, he said that it has become a major concern. He urged teachers to speak to parents about how much time their children spend on screens and whether they continue using mobile phones late at night. He suggested that children could gradually come out of excessive screen use by developing an interest in sports, physical games and creative activities.PM Modi referred to the National Education Policy and stressed the importance of taking children outside the classroom and connecting them with real-world skills and forms of work. He also asked teachers to go beyond imparting knowledge about the syllabus and help inculcate values such as dignity of labour amongst the children. Published - September 05, 2026 11:21 am IST