What Independent India wants from the nation’s youth

Upgrade your skills with education,
Commit it to the development of the nation,
We want a dynamic transformation!
This year we are celebrating our 70th year of independence; but we are independent only politically, as we are gripped with many social challenges. We want India to become a country where all our countrymen are able to have a dignified existence and afford the basic necessities of life: food, clothes, shelter, sanitation, education and connectivity. We need freedom from poverty and corruption. Our hope for a better tomorrow lies with the Indian youth. Young India has copious energy and the calibre to make possible what seems impossible and turn this dream into a reality. So what does Independent India want from its youth?
Invest your passion

Every living soul is born with a purpose, possesses a distinctive passion and has been blessed with a unique talent by the Almighty. Identifying his/her passion is the biggest battle a teenager faces within himself/herself but it is imperative to fight it and emerge a winner. Once your passion is identified get the best possible knowledge and invest it back into the development of the country.
Dr Vaseem Iqbal hails from the tribal community of Andaman & Nicobar. He is the first person ever from his community to attain a doctorate. Following a Masters in Coastal Disaster Management under the Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, he later did a Ph.D. to identify different ways of tackling seawater intrusion in the islands using geophysical and geochemical techniques. He is passionate about working for the development of coastal regions in the country as he is well-versed with the challenges of people residing in these areas.
Think big

Youth living in urban India have the best possible facilities to pursue their interests but the lives of village youth are the complete opposite. Their lives are packed with constraints and struggles yet with the great enthusiasm many of them identify/develop solutions to their problems. Education should not only be job-oriented; instead it should be utilized towards finding solutions for problems faced by the masses. Youth need to think big to utilize their education and talent towards developing the nation. The thought process must be at the macro level and never on micro!
Vikram Sankaranarayanan helps drought-stricken farmers grow millets and pursue chemical-free farming to cope with water scarcity. After graduating from the London School of Economics he chose to return to his roots and is committed towards stopping farmer suicides. He established SanLak Agro Industries in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, to help farmers produce nutrient-rich food with minimum farming input and negligible expense. In addition, he helps them sell their farm produce ensuring they get the best possible monetary returns. By saving money on production costs and earning good revenues from their agricultural product sales, he believes farmer suicides will stop.
Innovate
India wants its youth to think different and innovate without being scared of failure. It may take many attempts to develop something new, but make the promise to ‘never give up’. Accept failures, analyze mistakes and bounce back. It is vital to learn to start-up and stand-up to innovate.

M. Tenith Adithyaa from Tamil Nadu is a serial innovator. At the age of 19 he has close to twenty inventions to his credit. Some of them are recognized at national and international level. One of his most popular inventions is Banana Leaf Preservation Technology that addresses the problem of waste management. A lot of waste is generated due to the use of plastic plates, bowls and glasses. He thought of an idea to utilize banana leaves to make use-and-throw plates and cups. Banana leaves dry up within three days due to their soft cell walls. He hardened these cell walls and barred pathogenic agents from destroying cells and used the leaves to make plates and cups. After use, the plates and cups decompose into manure easily. The cost of production is minimal. “I want to craft a problem-free life for everyone. I like to solve problems creatively. Once I see a problem, then at that instant I start looking for a solution. All my inventions so far are the solutions to specific problems the society or an individual faces,” he says.
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Shweta Dhanuka enjoys writing success stories from all walks of life and is a regular contributor to web portals and magazines. Reach her at shwetadhanuka@gmail.com