Challenging the Status Quo

Young Indians from all over the country congregated in Mumbai for the 3rd Yi National Summit with the aim to focus on critical issues of Educating, Employing and Engaging the Country’s youth. Over the years Yi Summit have provided a platform for the Indian Youth to voice, share, understand and collaborate on issues they feel are critical for India’s Development. Setting the tone for the event Mr. R Seshasayee, President, CII spoke on the importance of Knowledge and how it would be the force that would drive change. Mr. Seshasayee added that Yi National Summit is happening at a time when Nations all around the world are thinking of strategies to cope with the rise of Asia and the development of the new political architecture. Mr. Seshasayee suggested that the best way of doing something positive for the country is to strive to be the best in whatever one was doing and said that Knowledge should be transformed into an idea, in turn to innovation and finally to enterprise. “If you have a bright idea, you will find money available to support the enterprise” he said. Mr. Seshasayee referred to Management Guru CK Prahalad’s book ‘Competing for the Future’ and said its lessons were relevant in the current context and urged India’s youth to do away with tolerance of failure and be more demanding. The first day of the Summit ended with the music performance by Global Rhythms underlying the need for convergence in music, thoughts and actions.

The Second Day of the Summit started with a discussion on Educating India –One Problem, Many Solutions. Dr. Y S Rajan, Principal Advisor, CII who moderated the discussion said that one’s introduction in the present day was incomplete without reference to one’s Alma Mater. Lt Gen (Retd ) Arjun Ray CEO, Indus Group of Educational Institutions and pioneer Operation Sadbhavana portrayed a grim picture of education in rural India and said that if India was to grow at the fast rates that were being talked about, education in the rural areas would make the difference and spoke of the need for a clear vision on rural education , saying India needed to declare a philosophy on Rural Education. Prof Jacob Tharu Member of Task Force, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan explained how quality and Standards in Indian Education seemed to be going the wrong way, given that test results were treated as the parameter of evaluating education and flayed the social acceptance of Slaughtering of Students in test and exam results. Dr. Radhakrishna Das , Director, ISKCON Food Relief Foundation brought in the dimension of Food for the Soul by pointing out that the midday meal scheme had resulted in students from poor families regularly attending schools as also getting involved in the learning process. Dr. David Wlkinson, Head Master, Mahindra United World College spoke of Creative Learning and suggested Public Private Partnership was a logical way out to better the learning system.

Session II looked at the paradox of people without jobs, while jobs waited for the right sort of people. Mr. Anand Kumar Founder Super 30 recounted his experience in inculcating excellence in the right spirit, in a school without boundaries. India’s Economic growth will be powered by bright Indians who have access to support systems which help them to learn the right skill sets required to succeed. Mr. M Balasubramanian spoke about the initiatives of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation in equipping the youth with skills through the Livelihood Advanced Business School programme.

The panel discussion during the 3rd Young Indians National Summit in Mumbai had a very spirited group of panelists attempting to answer this debate. It was particularly relevant considering that the event’s theme, ‘Challenge the Status Quo’. Mr. Pradeep Kanakia, Head, Risk Advisory Practice and Member, KPMG India executive team, who moderated the event, said we live in an India which is an economic powerhouse, and has gained as a global power. But, as Indian youth stands on threshold of change, does the Gandhian concept of soft methods of agitation hold good, or is the violent alternative, one in which an agitating person literally ‘loses control’ the one that is more likely to work?

The panel deliberated on five issues: (i) education system and whether it prepares citizens of tomorrow, (ii) are we on a social time bomb, (iii) disconnect of youth from political process (iv) leveraging technology and media for engaging youth in democratic process and (v) role the Indian youth could play. Mr. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Director, Rang De Basanti said India was on the threshold of change, and irrespective of ‘Gandhigiri’ or ‘Lose Control’, the first move would be everyone making the effort to change themselves. Mr. Neeraj Mittal, IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore said India’s macro-performance had been ‘stellar’ while ‘micro-performance’ had been poor. He spoke of the immense potential that the Right to Information Act brought out for all Indians, including the youth, and said it was akin to ‘Gandhigiri’. He pointed out that the ‘trusteeship’ concept of Gandhian thought was relevant in the era of money making frenzy. Mr. Govindraj Ethiraj Editor (New Media) Business Standard said before any moves at figuring out a ‘better tomorrow’, it was relevant to find out which ‘tomorrow’ was being talked about, and when talking of education, the issue was whether it helped achieving the goal. Mr. Prahlad Kakar, Ad film maker and director, Genesis Film Production Pvt Ltd said today’s youth wasn’t young enough, because it lacked commitment. He said the right education was one that taught students to ask questions and not just confirm to stereotypes. Mr. Shaffi Mather Founder Ambulance Access For All said the media created stereotypes, which weren’t necessarily true. He felt the present education system just did not deliver, and he lauded the work done by the Knowledge Commission. The panel discussion ended on the note that the oft-mentioned theory about India being two distinct and separate types, one that is educated and has economic growth as compared to the one that is impoverished continues to exist, and that youth could begin to make a difference by making themselves the first unit of change.

Addressing the Young Indians during the Valedictory Session under the theme Does India needs a youth policy, Mr. Adi B Godrej said that India needs a youth policy and such a policy should provide opportunities for the youth and added that the youth policy should be flexible and not rigid. Lt Gen (Retd ) S S Mehta , Director General , CII in his address said that the challenge for India is not whether the country will be known for its economic growth but for distribution of its economic growth and said that the nation faced the challenge of large number of students dropping out of the education system. Mr. Narayan Sethuramon , National Chairman, Yi said that India should be a socially balanced superpower with the youth as the drivers of the economy and added that Micro Nutrition and unemployment are the challenges facing the nation and a concerted effort is needed to tackle these challenges.

The Yi Summit ended in Mumbai with a positive note and called for a collective action and shared responsibility among the country’s youth for tackling the challenges discussed in-depth during the Summit.