What is wrong with the Indian education system?
9th standard:PTA meetingPhysics Teacher: Your son is very smart. He is hardworking too. Dad: Thanks sir! He studies well. He is passionate about physics.Physics Teacher: Yes. He has what it takes to be an IAS Officer. Prepare him for Civil Services. He would be a great officer.Dad: That's good to hear sir. I am just a 9th standard guy. All I knew was that I loved applying physics to daily life activities. I knew I loved Maths too. But I did not know about my future. I did not know what I would be or what I wanted to be. I approached my teacher the next day.Class - the next day:Me: Sir. I like physics. What is its future.Physics Teacher: The future of physics is full of possibilities. There is infinite scope for exploring the field.Me: Then why did you want me to be an IAS Officer.Physics Teacher: Its a very stable job. You get security. You can get others to do your work for you. You will have many servants. You can earn very much. Even though the salary from government is less, you get lots of gifts (not so subtle). If you pursue physics, you can't earn much. Home:Mom: How did the meeting go. Dad: Great! His teacher told me that he has what it takes to even crack Civil Services.Mom: He's too young. Let us give him a few years before we push him towards his goals. (My mother is a professor. I am lucky. Not all are lucky to be afforded this freedom.)Conclusion:I tell my teacher I like his subject. He tells me it has good future. But money is the ultimate objective and it has less scope to earn money. He tells me to pursue another field. I feel there is something fundamentally wrong if we educate our younger generation that one field has more priority over another. All are equal. It just depends on one's passion towards a field and a drive to pursue it.As someone said: "Where would they be if Lata Mangeshkar picked up a cricket bat and Sachin Tendulkar became a singer."
What should one do in their 20s to avoid regrets in their 30s and 40s?
Noticed something funny?People in their 30’s purchase a house on a massive loan.Why?So that when they do become old, they can live in it.So what they do is buy a house for a 30 year mortgage or loan and work their ass off for the next 30 years to pay for the loan.Funny thing is - they are working like a dog - spending their entire youth chasing, running and making - so that they can live in a house during their old age.Funny right?And they do not even think of the possibility that - maybe, just maybe - they may die before hand or that something may happen before that - which can change the entire course of their lives.So what these people and many others like them do is - live for the future.First and foremost - How do you know you will live until the age of 40? or 30?How do you know you may not die within 1 year? Next month? Next week?How do you know?The fact is - no one knows!Everyone likes to assume or believe they will live until the ripe old age of 75 or 100. It is nice to have an Optimism Bias but it is better to be practical and realistic.No one knows if you or I will live until the age of 30 or 40.And whatever advice I may give you today - may not be applicable in another few years.Why?Because you have changed, people have changed, the environment has changed and our world has changed.Given a planet where the technology changes every few weeks - you seriously want someone to give you advice for the next 10 years?Well - if you really want something worthwhile to keep in mind and heart….here would be the advice I would give.Live everyday as if it were your last day on the planet.Do everything that needs to be done - so that if you were to die tomorrow - you would live your life knowing - you have no regrets.That doesn’t mean live it recklessly or take a credit card and blow it out it completely. What I mean is - do those things money cannot buy and those things that do not hurt others. And live in a manner that is true to your value system. And where ‘living for the future goes’ - cross that bridge when it arrives.Remember - do not waste what you have right now - for hopes and anticipation for a future you have not seen and do not know if it will ever come.That is why what you have right now - is called “The Present”.Loy Machedo