Important Aspirations of Indian Society

I wrote the following for the assignment question "Explain briefly the important aspirations of Indian society" asked for IGNOU B.Ed Assignment 1

Real education consists in drawing the best out of yourself. What better book can there be than the book of humanity?
- Mahatma Gandhi
India is known for its diversity in all walks of life. Socioeconomic difference and societal harmony among the people coexists which is considered to be a pride of India and we call it as “Unity in Diversity”. Systematic socioeconomic difference practiced from the ancient past has been one among the many driving forces of aspiration; Dr. Ambedkar’s life is an example.

Historically, India had a glorious past and the west had always fantasized on acquiring the wealth of India. Fa-Hien (ca. 337 – ca. 422 AD) and Xuanzang (ca. 602 – ca. 664 AD) had reference to Nalanda, one of the great universities that existed in 427 to 1197 AD, imparting knowledge to Indian and foreign nationals. In the modern era too, India has earned the image of knowledge capital, with the explosion of Information Era and certainly knowledge has become a fascination and aspiration for many Indians.

Indian glory was still an attraction for foreign invaders to the country after several centuries. Muslim rulers invaded the country after 8th century and European invasion in after 13th century did have a setback to its original growth and glory. It cannot be denied that the British rule in India introduced the western industrial revolution into India and started the process of westernisation. Prior to western education system, India was having class based restricted education that was conducted by gurus and the schools were called gurukulam, but this deprived education to majority of the community. Mostly, knowledge was transferred within the family, by this way the secret of medicine and treatment, for example, was kept within the family. After the introduction of western education, most people got exposed to school education.

People were exposed to vast knowledge available over the world after being exposed to the world. During the Indian independence war, many Indian nationals aspired to study at UK. Many aspirants did study abroad, including Mahatma Gandhi, with results favouring national moment for Indian independence by resigning the British Government posts by most of the foreign educated.

Today, many non-resident Indians in USA, UK and other countries have earned good reputation for their service as physicians and academicians. Liberalisation brought in a lot of outsourced business to India in the field of computer software and IT enabled services which has lot of potential to generate employment has a lot of attraction among the youth as it offered excellent compensation.

India is now identified for knowledge capital as it gave priority to education after the independence. In the past two decades several private educational institutions have been started to offer higher education in technology. John Dewey mentioned that, “Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not a preparation for life but is life itself.” Youth of post-liberalisation era sees education not as life, but as wealth accumulator for the next generation.

Dr. S Radhakrishnan observed that, "The aim of education is not the acquisition of information, although important, or acquisition of technical skills, though essential in modern society, but the development of that bent of mind, that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make us responsible citizens." Bureaucrats drive India through the development path, but both bureaucrats and politicians have failed to mould the young Indians with the democratic responsibility.

Personal economy is of primary importance and the young Indian society aspires to learn the skills that will fulfil the basic goal and the actual goal for the life is set after learning through the experience from “the book of humanity”. The policy makers should device education as the tool to carve responsible citizens rather than allowing them to learn the responsibility only from the experience.

The lost legacy of the Indian society should be restored and education should be made to play key role in the process of developing commitment to equality and non-discrimination among the Indians.