PM Modi talks about ‘aura’ again, this time with teachers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned to the word “aura”, this time during a playful exchange with teachers at his residence. The term came up after a National Award-winning teacher said she felt nervous in his presence because of his “aura”.

Modi asked whether a public speaker should not have an aura. When the teacher replied that he should and that Modi already had one, he responded, “Then people won't listen! They will just keep looking at your aura.” The teacher joked that they might simply keep looking at him.

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Then people won't listen! They will just keep looking at your aura.

The conversation began with Modi asking the teacher for advice on becoming a better public speaker. He asked what she would tell him if he were her student. She answered that confidence comes through extensive practice, even as she acknowledged that she herself felt nervous during the exchange.

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First of all, you need to be confident. Confidence comes through a lot of practice.

Modi hosted the National Teachers’ Award winners on Friday for a broader discussion of teaching methods, public speaking, screen addiction and drug abuse. One teacher described teaching students how to conduct interviews in innovative ways. Modi suggested that children should also interview their parents at home, asking why a meal was prepared in a particular way and how much had been spent on it. The teacher said the idea had led students at her school to want to become reporters.

Modi had used the word “aura” earlier in an interaction with CEOs and founders of space startups, when he spoke about creating an aura around India’s private space sector so people worldwide would see the country as a place to build a career.

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They must be interviewing their parents at home too. Like, 'Why did you cook this? Why did you cook it this way? Who made this decision? How much was spent on the budget?'