Youth and the Future of Bharat

By S Paul

“Youth are the tomorrow of the nation.” — Swami Vivekananda

“It is the youth who will change the world, because they do not know what is impossible.” —Mahatma Gandhi

We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” —Franklin D Roosevelt

All such great minds have underlined one central truth: the future of Bharat will be shaped not merely by the number of educated youths we produce, but by the quality of citizens we nurture. Our political leadership rightly speaks of training the young, expanding opportunities, and making them employable; however, this effort will remain incomplete, and even ineffective, if education continues to mean only the ability to read and write. A nation cannot be built by literacy alone. It needs disciplined, courteous, responsible, morally anchored and practically skilled young citizens. Therefore, civic etiquette, moral science, social responsibility and aptitude-based skill training must not be treated as optional additions to schooling; they must become compulsory and central components of education from the earliest classes. Children must be taught how to respect elders, teachers, women, public property and public spaces; how to keep their surroundings clean; how to speak and behave with dignity; how to control anger, avoid jealousy, help the weak, and understand the dignity of labour. At the same time, every child must be guided to discover his or her natural aptitude and be trained in useful skills, so that education provides capability, confidence and character together.

In earlier times, families and community life transmitted these values naturally, but today nuclear families, working parents, uncontrolled media exposure and shrinking social guidance have weakened that foundation. Schools must therefore take up this national duty with seriousness. Unless reading and writing are joined with civic conduct, moral strength and skill development, our youth may become degree-holders without direction, employable without discipline, and ambitious without responsibility. Such an outcome would weaken society rather than strengthen Bharat.

Therefore, what is being done by our government appears to be an effort in futility. It is time that our governments jolt themselves out of their reverie and start thinking out of box for how to nurture our young ones right from their birth? A few ideas are submitted for consideration.

1. Enthuse them with manners and civic sense right from their infancy. The pattern of education right from the lower KG to 10^thstandard should be predominantly Moral Science oriented. In which the children are made to taught to be courteous and learn the dignity of labour by doing teachers’ supervised small ‘shram daan’ in schools (a place of learning), learn to keep surroundings tidy and trash free, learn the polite way of greeting each other and giving respect to parents and teacher and elders (instead of just saying Hi), learn about all kinds of ‘pollutions’ and how to avoid or reduce them, etc.
2. Children should be made to know the Divinity as the all-pervading source of love and care. Anger or jealousy is a very human trait and not Godly. It is our own indulgences that reduce the intensity of divine love that we advertently term as anger (prakope) of God.
3. In the nursery levels new kinds of nursery rhymes be introduced which may teach the toddlers about the civic sense such as not to spit or throw wrappers and fruit peels on roads, not to urinate on open walls but seek out the Sulabh type washrooms or use diapers, not to use headphones while walking, be kind to others including animals, not pluck flowers and leaves just to squash them and throw them etc.
4. In middle or secondary levels teach them the usefulness of first aid to the injured and use of CPR, tourniquet, treat fire injured, help during depression of colleagues and call for medical aid.
5. They should also be encouraged to start indulging in sports and arts, etc.
6. There should be proper tests for these subjects including practicals and the percentage of score of 10^thstandard to be added to higher secondary assessment.
7. In the PTA, which ought to be at least quarterly or more, the parents too must be given an abbreviated course of these subjects with demonstrations. The parents should be talked to about our ancient practice of Gurukuls which gave a complete learning to the young ones by the gurus with no interference by parents.
8. At the secondary level, the children may be taught languages, history only of Bhartiya heroes /Kings/Mahapurush, rudimentary maths and basic sciences. So that they start taking pride in their own culture and learn about the magnificence of nature through rudiment Geography, Basics of Computer use.
9. The students at middle and secondary levels should also be exposed to training in skill development. Promising young ones may also be subjected to an analysis of ‘aptitude’ with the permission and involvement of parents/guardians.
10. In higher secondary they ought to be exposed to learning of higher and specific sciences. History in detail, if preferred as a subject. Proficiency in the language/languages of choice, etc.
11. Besides these, they may be encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities like sports, arts, fine arts, dramatics, declamation, etc.
12. While in school they should be forbidden from indulging in any political or union activities.
13. The teachers, especially of the government schools, should not be taken away to do any other government tasks. Such non-teaching tasks may be outsourced to NGOs or clerical cadres in government offices. Because taking away the teachers affects the learning tempo of the students. The guru-shishya touch is diluted.
14. The educational institutes are adversely affected due to too many planned and unplanned holidays. Online teaching is not a substitute for contact learning by the students as they are devoid of learning in a group and competition.
15. In colleges, the first-year students must be treated as if in the year of ‘breaking in’ and strictly not involved in any political activities by the students’ unions and senior students. In fact, some final year students may be given charge of a few freshers to see that they are not put into any embarrassing situations of ragging and harassment and to guide them into the proper college decorum.
16. The academic colleges should be integral to professional graduate and PG institutes. This would give the youth a chance to pursue their choice of profession and seek placement during their student hood itself.
17. The coaching institutes for certain specialised professional exams too may be controlled by such universities and not be private ones. There should be a special cell of psychologists and counsellors attached to each such university for advice to our youth facing any stressful period during their academic and PG and professional studies.
18. The student union elections too may be carried out under very strict supervision by the senior students and teachers so that there is no violence or smudging of alma-mater, public and private buildings with graffiti and posters. No victory processions should be permitted in public places as this sets a wrong precedence in youth politics and adversely upsets public convenience.
19. In our country every middle-class youth vies to bag government employment. They are even made to use illegitimate means to obtain this. For every such job, competitive tests should be devised. Of course, leakage of test papers must be stemmed completely. The youth should be made to understand that the governments cannot provide jobs to cent percent youth and, therefore, they must become innovative, build on their skill development and aptitude. For this the governments may designate special cells to help and guide them.
20. Use of mobile phones and tablets must be completely banned for children till they reach class 5^th. These two gadgets must not be left unattended or accessible in the homes just like firearms or matches. Their watching of TV should also be controlled by the parents, guardians and elders at home.
21. Central and State governments should fill all the impending vacancies in government jobs. That would be a clear indication of governments’ pro-youth intentions.
22. Yoga must be an essential part of teaching right from the nursery standard as a stress buster.

Besides all these reforms, our planners must also recognise population control as a constitutional necessity for the nation. No programme for youth development, education, employment, health, housing, environment or social harmony can succeed if the population continues to grow beyond the nation’s capacity to provide dignity, opportunity and order to all. The Constitution is not merely a book of rights; it is also a solemn framework of duties, discipline and responsibility towards the collective future of Bharat. Therefore, responsible family planning must be treated not as a private preference alone, but as a national duty owed by every citizen across regions, classes and faiths. The State must use all lawful, fair and humane legislative instruments to promote population stabilisation, remove ignorance, discourage irresponsible parenthood, and ensure that public resources are not overwhelmed by unchecked numbers. Those who consciously disregard such nationally necessary norms, after adequate awareness and support, may also be made subject to reasonable legal consequences. Some may call this a violation of individual liberty or democratic freedom, but liberty without responsibility can destroy the very social order that protects liberty. If Bharat is to provide proper education, skill training, employment, clean surroundings, civic order and a dignified life to its youth, population discipline must become a constitutional priority and a patriotic obligation. Without it, every other plan for the future of our young generation will remain overburdened, underfunded and incomplete.