A recent video of clueless students of a private Indian university taking part in a protest provided much mirth and laughter on the Internet. These students carried placards they had no idea about, were unable to string two original sentences together in response to a reporter’s simple questions and squirmed in general when asked about what the protest was all about. The specific college (a well-regarded private university in North India, frequently ranking high on national lists) and the cause of the protest (a political demonstration against a particular party’s manifesto) are irrelevant. This video, simultaneously hilarious and sad, is only a little sample of the average Indian college student today. A harsher term might be “duffer,” but in today’s sensitive woke climate, we avoid hurting feelings even when reflecting reality. So, let’s use the more polite term: the undereducated class of India. These are privileged students. Their parents provided a good upbringing, enrolled them in quality schools, and can afford these expensive private universities. These students dress well, appear neat, and carry expensive phones. And yet, once they open their mouth, the first word that comes to mind is that they are absolute duff.. sorry, undereducated.
Beyond the jokes and internet memes (which are admittedly funny), this situation is a serious issue. There is an entire class, probably in the millions, of Indian graduates and would-be graduates that are absolutely sub-par in their ability to think, communicate, understand, analyse or problem-solve anything. They have completed twelve years of school and three to four years of college. Yet, as the saying goes – if some students drink at fountains of knowledge, these students just gargle.
As a motivational speaker, I travel across India addressing college audiences. It pains me to say this, but out of genuine concern, I must admit that the average Indian college student displays a frightening level of incompetence. It is not about that one village idiot. We are taking about entire villages of idiots. How on earth will we become a viksit or developed country, when our young generation refuses to engage their brain? Even as the world adopts artificial intelligence, how do we tackle so much natural stupidity?
I am not talking about our top colleges. Neither is it being said that there are no bright students in India. Indian students have gone on to become unicorn founders, inventors, top lawyers and surgeons. Our top students are amongst the world’s best. However, these are exceptions. When it comes ALL students, there is a normal curve, things are pretty dim around the middle of the curve. Data proves it. Surveys show more than half of Indian graduates are unemployable.
Why is this the case? How did the Indian student become so stupid? This too in the privileged class, where they are brought up with relatively high resources? We often blame our outdated educational system. That may partly be the reason for this crisis, but true reasons run deeper. They are hard to listen to. If you are easily offended or triggered, stop reading further. Otherwise, here are the top-3 reasons why many Indian students test the limits of human stupidity.
1. The non-thinking family – Many Indian families, even with mean, do not encourage their children to read, write, think, analyse, opine and solve problems. How many middle-class or upper middle-class families sit at the dining table and discuss the following – books, current affairs, global concerns, self-reflection? Not many. Instead, we discuss – the food on the table, how ghee and jaggery is good for us, which achaar is the best, who is getting married to whom, reality shows, cricket, which webseries to watch or which Bollywood star or industrialist is getting married. Worst, we are nowadays on our phones even at the dining table, not engaging with our family at all. This is a breeding ground for intellectual stagnation. No National Education Policy, no updated curriculum, no college can do anything to the family itself brews stupidity.
2. An aversion to read – Somehow, watching videos became the new cool and books or anything written is seen as a waste of time. ‘I don’t read books. I prefer watching videos,’ is what many Indian college students proudly say. What they are actually saying is ‘I am a dumbass who doesn’t want to make the mental effort to read. Videos require little brain effort so my underdeveloped brain prefers that.’ For heaven’s sake, please read. Actual words. Watching videos is not the same. To understand stuff you have to read. That’s why we study using books in school and college. Would you trust a doctor who says, “I’ve never read a medical book, but I’ve watched a lot of medical videos”?
3. Distractions – The average Indian student wants the good life. This includes a nice iPhone, an attractive dating partner, expensive clothes, online shopping sprees, and hanging out at trendy bars and restaurants. A constant stream of content from Instagram or other social media feeds fuels these desires by only showing them more of what they already enjoy. As a result, the Indian student gets lost in this world of consumption and fleeting desires. Their minds have literally no time to consider their life’s purpose. “Bas, I want some nice easy job,” is all they offer when asked about their career goals. There’s no focus, passion, or desire to make a mark on the world,excel in a particular field, or build a meaningful life. Their mentality is often, “Give me this lifestyle somehow, even if my parents indirectly subsidize it.” Please, stop! Stop being distracted by your phone or whatever else is keeping you intellectually stagnant and underachieving. Learn about the world. Find your place as a productive member of society. Set challenging goals and stay focused on achieving them.
As our nation strives to develop, we need not only physical infrastructure like roads, ports, and airports, but also human infrastructure – millions of sharp young minds with the ability to envision, think critically, and execute a better future for themselves and the nation. A generation lacking intellect will come at a great cost, potentially leading to us being indirectly colonized again by the developed world. We must think for ourselves, or else someone else will do the thinking for us.