पढ़ाई कैसी चल रही है?

You can use this with anyone currently enrolled in a course. It works for a 10-year-old or a PhD candidate. Just drop it into a conversation after the initial 'Hello'. It is a great icebreaker. It shows you care about their future. It is a very safe, standard question.

Use it when meeting a younger cousin at a wedding. Use it when texting a classmate you haven't seen in a week. It is perfect for small talk at a family dinner. If you see a neighbor's kid with a heavy backpack, this is your line. It is the ultimate 'responsible adult' question to ask a younger person.

Do not ask this to someone who just failed an exam. That is just mean. Avoid using it with someone who has already graduated. It might trigger their post-college existential crisis. Also, do not use it in a high-stakes job interview. It sounds a bit too casual for a professional evaluation. If they are on vacation, let them forget about padhai for a bit.

In Indian culture, education is highly valued. Relatives will ask you this before they even ask for your name. It is a sign of affection and concern. Sometimes it feels like a bit of pressure, but it is usually well-intentioned. It is the social glue that connects different generations in a family. Every Indian student has a 'prepared' answer for this question.

You can make it more specific. Ask Taiyari kaisi chal rahi hai? for 'How is the preparation going?' (usually for exams). Or use Kaam kaisa chal raha hai? if they are working. If you want to be very casual, just say Aur, padhai-vadhai? with a shrug. The 'vadhai' part is just rhyming slang that adds a relaxed flavor.