We have become marksvaadis: Education minister flags marks obsession

“Marksvaadis” refers to people shaped by an intense focus on marks. In the article, the term describes a wider culture, not only students. It includes parents and society, which may judge education mainly through examination scores. Joshi linked this culture with memorisation and rote learning. It matters because education can become about passing tests rather than building confidence, curiosity and understanding.

Joshi said much time is spent figuring out how to memorise information and score marks. He also said parents may believe children must obtain marks by whatever means. His phrase “we have all become marksvaadis” presents the problem as shared across society, rather than as a fault belonging only to students.

The minister connected this pressure with reports of student suicides after results are announced. He argued that schools and families should help children explore interests and possibilities beyond examinations. The CBSE Experience Centre was presented as one effort to support that broader development and strengthen self-confidence.

Prahlad Joshi said examination pressure can damage students’ self-confidence. He criticised an education culture focused on memorising information and securing marks. In his view, this pressure becomes especially serious when families and institutions treat examination results as the main proof of ability. The concern matters because students may feel their worth depends on passing tests.

He pointed to reports of students taking their own lives whenever results are announced. Joshi asked why such a “weak mindset” had developed and connected it to an education system focused on filling children’s minds with information and helping them pass competitive examinations. These comments were made while launching the CBSE Experience Centre.

Joshi said building self-confidence was crucial. He hoped the centre would encourage curiosity, help students understand their interests and show possibilities beyond examinations. Its interactive activities, career exhibits and technology displays were intended to support broader development, although the article does not measure their impact on suicides or results.

The CBSE Experience Centre is an interactive educational facility at the CBSE headquarters in New Delhi. It was launched by Union education minister Prahlad Joshi. The centre is designed to move students beyond a narrow focus on examination scores. It introduces educational heritage, emerging technologies, career choices and environmental interconnectedness through hands-on experiences.

Students can use RFID-enabled smart cards to interact with exhibits, join activities and receive personalised takeaways. They can also use game-based leaderboards. The centre includes a film tracing education from the gurukul system to digital classrooms, along with an “Eduverse” journey through forests, oceans, the Himalayas and the solar system. Other exhibits cover earth’s history, CBSE’s evolution and career paths.

The intended outcome is wider exploration. Joshi said the centre should build self-confidence, curiosity and awareness of personal interests. CBSE chairperson Mandeep K Bhandari said preparing students for the future also means introducing new learning and work areas, including artificial intelligence.

The CBSE Experience Centre covers 6,000 square feet. It is organised into 12 zones and contains 21 exhibits. These figures show that the centre is a structured, multi-part learning space rather than a single display. Its purpose is to give students different ways to engage with ideas outside routine examination preparation.

The exhibits cover India’s educational heritage, emerging technologies, career choices and environmental interconnectedness. Visitors can use RFID-enabled smart cards to interact with displays, take part in activities and access personalised takeaways. Game-based leaderboards add another interactive element. The centre also includes holograms, archival material, a geological timeline and an immersive “Eduverse.”

The scale allows the centre to combine several subjects and learning methods in one visit. It begins and ends with experiences linked to education and natural systems. The article presents this design as part of CBSE’s broader effort to support students’ overall development, but it does not provide visitor numbers or evidence of measured outcomes.

The centre offers an alternative by making learning interactive and connected to real interests. Rather than focusing only on memorising information for marks, students encounter history, science, technology, careers and environmental systems through exhibits. This matters because the minister said curiosity and self-confidence should complement examination preparation.

For example, RFID-enabled smart cards let visitors interact with exhibits, join activities and receive personalised takeaways. “Eduverse” uses motion-based features and multisensory elements to present forests, oceans, the Himalayas and the solar system. Holograms of Dr BR Ambedkar and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, career-path displays and technology exhibits provide additional ways to explore ideas and possible futures.

The mechanism is active engagement. Students do not simply receive information; they participate, make choices and see connections across subjects. CBSE chairperson Mandeep K Bhandari specifically highlighted artificial intelligence as increasingly relevant. The article presents these experiences as support for overall development, not as a replacement for examinations.

The three officials described different but connected roles in school education. Union education minister Prahlad Joshi set out the policy concern: marks obsession, rote learning and pressure can weaken confidence. He launched the centre and promoted curiosity and development beyond examinations. His role in the article is to frame the national education challenge and support a broader goal.

CBSE chairperson Mandeep K Bhandari connected the centre with CBSE’s work on students’ overall development. He said future preparation includes new areas of learning and work, including artificial intelligence in the curriculum. Prachi Pandey, joint secretary in the Union education ministry’s school education department, explained how exposure to subjects, professionals and technologies may help students recognise interests and future opportunities.

Together, their comments show policy, board leadership and ministry implementation working around student development. The centre is a practical expression of that direction. The article does not describe specific regulations or funding decisions, but it presents the officials as supporting education that reaches beyond examination results.

An education system that rewards memorisation more than curiosity can make learning feel like information collection. Students may concentrate on recalling material and passing tests instead of asking questions, understanding connections or exploring varied interests. The article presents this as important because examination pressure can affect self-confidence and the way students judge their own abilities.

Joshi gave a concrete example: families may feel children must secure marks by whatever means. He said much time is spent learning how to memorise and score. The centre responds with activities involving careers, emerging technologies, earth’s history and environmental systems. Its interactive design gives students experiences that are not limited to written answers.

The article does not claim that examinations have no value. It argues for a broader balance. Curiosity, interests and confidence should accompany preparation for exams. CBSE’s centre, including its artificial-intelligence and career displays, reflects that direction. Its longer-term effect on learning or student wellbeing is not reported.