Students Should Focus on Overall Personality, Not Just Academics: ISRO Chief

chennai: isro chairman v. narayanan has emphasised that students must go beyond being “bookworms” and work towards overall personality development. he made these remarks at a meeting of the high level expert committee and new syllabus design committee organised by the tamil nadu school education department at the anna centenary library.narayanan highlighted the need for value-based education alongside academic excellence. he noted that while intellectual learning—such as mathematics and science—is important, values like respecting parents and teachers, caring for others, and practising tolerance are equally essential.“the book alone is not important. overall personality development is what truly matters,” he said, urging that students be encouraged to study with a balanced perspective.reflecting on his own schooling in a government school in tamil nadu, narayanan stated that the type of school does not determine success. “how one studies and grows is important. wherever a student studies, if they study well, they can grow well,” he remarked.he also stressed the need to broaden career awareness among students. decades ago, most aspired only to become doctors, engineers, or administrators, he said, but a developed nation requires progress in all fields, including arts and sports.calling for a future-ready curriculum, narayanan said subjects like artificial intelligence and data science should be included, and teachers must be trained to handle emerging disciplines. “this initiative by the tamil nadu government will benefit students for the next 10 years,” he added.school education minister anbil mahesh poyyamozhi later raised concerns about increasing technology addiction among students and youth. he noted the rising trend of “doomscrolling”, where users spend long periods on social media without realising it. the department plans to introduce large-scale awareness programmes to address this issue.