The Skill Crisis of Indian Students and How to Empower them.

Namaste readers.

For over 2 years now, I have been visiting the public library of my city - mainly to use it's study spaces and have some productive, long and focused study time.

I have sat there entire evenings, among tens of dozens of young students, who are almost double my age - preparing diligently for competitive examinations.

It has been extremely enlightening experience for me to observe the youth out there and the common patterns within their goals, preparations etc.

Let me tell you. It's probably only me who goes there in mere enthusiasm and passion for self-study. But most youth I see there perhaps have no other place to study, no other career option than to crack the exam. I have seen young men and women come from villages around my city to study here specially and use it's facilities.

They merrily eat nuts and numkeens for lunch and spend hours sitting and reading.

I have often heard this in news that research shows most Indian youths spend their entire young age's vigour and brilliance in cracking examinations.

Let me clear one thing. I completely empathise with their thought process of opting for family's financial secuirity and career stability. But statistics show that all these attempts in the long run turn out to be totally futile and flop and the young person wastes away their life with nothing fruitful either for themselves or the society at large.

We remain Educated, but Unemployed Still.

Earlier this year, the government distanced itself from a leaked National Sample Survey Office report that said unemployment levels have reached a 45-year high.

Government jobs have always been highly sought-after for as long as they have existed in India. The distinction now is that highly qualified candidates are vying for petty positions in the government apparatus.

An average time Indian youth takes to prepare for competitive exams

From an average of two years and 10 months reported by those under 20, there is a steady increase to three years and seven months for those above 28 years of age.

I think that describing the present situation will do no good and we know it most clearly. So let me directly jump to my suggestions based on my observations.

Do you know why Swami Vivekananda is the Youth Icon of India?

Have you ever thought this - Why a Sanyassin is regarded as our National Youth Icon? Obviously, it is because of the intense youth he lived. Sadly, we do not know much about his early youth life.

Swamiji was very dynamic in his childhood. Curiosity and rational thinking paved his way to become an ideal student, and thus, the Youth Icon of India.

He was an excellent student. He studied anything that interested him, be it philosophy, science, history, religion or literature.

By the age of 16-17 he had read major Western logic and philosophy of that time - be it of Herbert Spencer, Scopenhaur, Paul Duessen etc.

He was also into gymnastics and regularly did Dava-Pech-Danda and other akhada practices. 

 He also was an avid reader of all kinds of religious texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upanishads, and the Vedas.

He had a melodious voice and a strong command in Indian Classical Music. He had mastered the Pakhawaj drum and could play the legendary Dhrupad Sangeet. In his youth, he even composed his own book on Indian Classical Music named "Sangeet Kalpataru".

Now all this, he already did before taking Sannyas. For most Indians, his life starts after the 1893 Chicago Speech! But see what a character Vivekananda was. No ordinary youth can dare to throw away opportunities to become a well-settled lawyer or a government official with a wife of a well-respected family of Calcutta - BUT take Sannyas from Sri Ramkrishna of Dakshineshwar Kali Mandir and have thr guts to roam about India for 12 years and then the entire world - penniless!!!

The youths I see in the library mostly spend their time ticking MCQs and making notes of current affairs. 4 out of every 5 students hold a GK manual in their hand - underlining the birthdate of Raja Rammohan Roy - noting down the important dates and events of British Rule etc!

Cannot we create an environment around us that we too grow up like Vivekananda? Cannot we be astute readers, prodigious readers and intense life-livers?

See, there is no tip, no shortcut to youth awakening.

Every second we must die to be the best. We must be extraordinary readers, which will make us extraordinary thinkers, and thus great soldiers for India's true progress.

 I don't know if I was able to put forward my point clearly, but I cannot stretch my words more.

Thus let us all dare to be free. Let us all dare to go as far as our thoughts lead us.

May the Mother of this Universe bless us with Divine Awakening. 

Thanks,

Daksh Parekh.