LUCKNOW, Feb. 14 -- The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad advised parents to prioritise their children's well-being over marks as over 50 lakh students prepare for board examinations starting February 18.

"Remember, your child is more important than his marks. Give them company, give them healthy food, keep junk food items away," Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, additional chief secretary, secondary and basic education, told parents during a YouTube discussion organised by Asia's largest examination body.

The ACS cautioned parents against burdening children with high expectations, stating that board exams were neither the first nor last examination of their lives. "As a father of a daughter, I have seen how kids put in extra hard yards ...