How PM Modi's Pariksha pe Charcha made it to the Guinness World Records

India Today

16 hours ago

On a rainy August 13 morning in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood beside Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, holding a framed Guinness World Records certificate. The recognition was for Pariksha pe Charcha 2025—the PM's annual interaction with students, parents and teachers, which this year drew a record 3.53 crore registrations in just one month. For Guinness, the metric was simple: no other citizen engagement platform had ever attracted that many registrations within 30 days.Behind the number was a coordinated push—state education departments, school principals, teachers and a web of social media outreach—all funnelling participants to the government's MyGov portal. This was not Modi's first brush with Guinness. Since 2014, four government programmes under his tenure have earned the distinction—the earliest in June 2015, when New Delhi's Rajpath saw 35,985 people perform yoga together on the first International Day of Yoga. The image of thousands of mats laid out on the ceremonial boulevard became one of the defining visuals of Modi's early years in office.advertisementThat same year, a very different initiative—the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)–PAHAL scheme — entered the record books as the world's largest cash transfer programme. At the time, Pradhan was petroleum minister, overseeing a system that by June 30, 2015, had transferred LPG subsidies directly into the bank accounts of 12.57 crore households. It was a complex logistical exercise linking oil marketing companies, banks, Aadhaar verification and state-level distribution chains to eliminate leakages in subsidy delivery.A year later, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana—launched to bring every household into the formal banking system—earned its Guinness entry. More than 18 crore bank accounts were opened in its first phase, laying the foundation for large-scale direct cash transfers in welfare schemes, a feature that proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unlike those earlier records—two in economic delivery and one in public health and culture—the newest recognition is for participation. Launched in 2018, Pariksha pe Charcha began as a televised town hall where Modi fielded questions on exam stress, time management and life beyond grades. Over the years, it expanded to include parents and teachers, evolving into a hybrid online-offline campaign that now reaches almost every district in the country.The 2025 edition leaned heavily on digital tools. Registrations flowed in through MyGov, while WhatsApp groups of teachers, short social media videos and in-school announcements sustained the momentum. Teachers became local coordinators, urging students to sign up and submit questions. When the window closed, the tally stood at 3.53 crore—enough to set a new global benchmark.This is the second time Pradhan has handed Modi a Guinness certificate—the first was for PAHAL in 2015. Senior officials say the connection is circumstantial. 'Each record has relied on coordination far beyond a single ministry,' says an official involved in the latest effort. 'PAHAL needed petroleum, finance, banks and UIDAI systems. Pariksha pe Charcha required education departments, platform managers and schools.' According to those familiar with the process, the formula is consistent: set a bold, measurable target, align all agencies to it, and deliver within a tight timeframe.'It's not about the plaque,' says another official. 'It's about a number that is transparent, verifiable and globally recognised.' While Guinness recognition is not a policy endorsement, it offers visible proof of scale—something the Modi government has often highlighted in areas ranging from sanitation drives to vaccination campaigns. The earlier records also left lasting infrastructure: Jan Dhan accounts now serve as a pipeline for welfare transfers; the DBT framework has been adapted for multiple subsidy programmes. Whether Pariksha pe Charcha leaves a similar imprint is less certain. Education ministry officials say they will watch for changes in student attitudes—reduced examination stress, more active parental involvement and teachers using the platform to address broader learning issues.advertisementViewed together, the four records trace a wide arc of governance priorities: the cultural diplomacy of Yoga Day, the economic reach of PAHAL and Jan Dhan, and the educational outreach of Pariksha pe Charcha. Different in content, they share an emphasis on mass participation, data-backed delivery and speed of execution. The latest certificate will likely join the others in the prime minister's office—framed reminders of initiatives that crossed a measurable global threshold. But beyond the ceremonial photo-op, the story is about the machinery that delivered them, and how in today's political vocabulary, big numbers are not just statistics—they are the message.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch