PM Modi's book gives advice on how to handle exam-stress
Ahead of this year's board exams, Narendra Modi is set to launch his fifth book - the first book he's ever written on exam stress. Titled "Exam Warriors", the book will be released by Penguin Random House India in the presence of External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Human Resource Development minister Prakash Javadekar. Here's how the Prime Minister is reaching out to students.
The official launch notification by Penguin
From mantras to yoga asans: Modi's advice on exam stress
Since 2015, PM Modi has been speaking about exam stress in Mann Ki Baat episodes. After receiving letters from students thanking him for his advice, Modi decided to pen a new book on the same. Dedicated to the "Youth of New India", the book contains mantras, yoga asans, and advice to teachers and parents. However, the book has its own political agenda too.
Modi is looking to mobilize first-time voters for upcoming elections
The very first paragraph of Modi's bio in the book reads, "His victory was propelled by historic support from India's youth, particularly first-time voters". Interestingly, the aforementioned declaration is supported by a 2015 study by political scientist Oliver Heath. Unsurprisingly, Modi is looking to woo first-time voters again in the 2019 elections, and advice on exam stress might just endear him to them.
The findings of Oliver Heath's study
In 2014, there were 55.3 crore registered voters - 13.6 crore more than the number in 2009. Heath's study showed that the BJP's mobilized this 32% increase in voters, and constituency-level analysis revealed that first-time voters were instrumental in BJP's victory.
Why first-time voters are important for the BJP
In 2014, the BJP won a majority with just 31% share of votes thanks to the first-past-the-post system. However, the BJP might face some difficulty in getting a third of total votes in 2019 on account of farmers' unrest and its inability to generate substantial formal employment. Therefore, it naturally follows that the party is looking to replace these expected losses through first-time voters.
