WHY should one waste time in studying Biology if one aspires to become an engineer? What is the use of studying Mathematics if one wants to appear for a medical entrance test? Who wants to ‘waste’ time in learning languages if one is opting for Science or Commerce courses? Questions. Questions. Questions. Answer? Society is dumbing down. Shocking as it may sound. But, take a good look around at the youngsters, and one finds the answer realistic. Many of the youngsters are living in a virtual world. Most of them have no or very little knowledge of ownself, own family, own community, own language, own city or town or village, own State, own country, own culture, own heritage. But, they are well aware of what is trending on various online platforms. They happily consider everything trending as correct, authentic, and right.

 

When they do not become part of some trend, they develop fear of missing out. They are afraid of getting isolated, even if they know they are right. This fear drives them to like, share, and subscribe to things that restrict their level of awareness, and hence, growth in the long run. Unfortunately, society has built such a situation over the years. Out of several ways in which the society as a whole messed it up, one is choice of subjects. In the ‘old’ system of education, students opting for Science had to learn all four subjects -- Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. After clearing the Std XII examination, if a student wanted to study engineering, his or her score in Physics-Chemistry-Mathematics (PCM) was considered. If one wanted to study medicine, one’s score in Physics-ChemistryBiology (PCB) was considered. However, up to Std XII, a student could study all four subjects. Language was also an important subject. Same was the case with Commerce and Art streams, with names of subjects changing.

 

This developed in them a greater awareness about subjects. However, somewhere in the past, in the name of ‘focussed’ (read, confined) approach, even this narrowing down of studies was further restricted. If one wanted to opt for engineering after Std XII, one did not need to study Biology after Std X. If one wanted to opt for medicine after Std XII, one did not need to study Mathematics after Std X. The situation deteriorated to such an extent that the colleges offering opportunity to learn all four subjects -- PCMB -- have sort of vanished from existence. What remains in the name of junior colleges and coaching centres are silos of compromise. Compromise? Yes! Because, the world has developed a system of interdisciplinary studies, which is yet to take roots again in India (since it was uprooted decades ago in the name of the modern education system). If an engineering passout, who has studied the restricted combination of PCM, goes to some other country and there, as part of a job at some car factory, one is assigned to reduce the impact of a collision on the human body inside, one will have to apply study of Biology. That assignment will require at least basic knowledge of PCMB combination to build further study upon. In such a case, either one will have to study Biology anew, or lose the assignment for want of knowledge. Since most of the engineering endeavours are centred around the comfort of humans, it is required to have knowledge of Biology. But, since that is lacking, screens are invented first and anti-glare glasses come later after realising the adverse impact on human eyes.

 

Why should this happen? Because, the silos of study pattern are inflicting a big-time compromise on general awareness that is very much required to excel in the vast world. High scores in limited subjects, opportunities in limited domains, awareness restricted to social media without application of the sense of verification, reading confined to trends, ideas tied to narrow identities, learning shackled to popular opinion, are the signs of humanity leading life in silos of compromise. Though the world around is buzzing with activity, serious lack of well-calibrated purpose is only adding to the noise in which saner voices and those engaged in meaningful pursuits are getting drowned. As far as India is concerned, irrespective of the glorification of new systems, the quality of student-inputs going to universities reflects the ugly reality that only a handful few will grab opportunities available in the world beyond academic years. Others may end up getting tagged as unskilled workers. Many of the roads, bridges, buildings, tools, gadgets, appliances, devices, food items, literature, lyrics bear the mark of involvement of such unskilled persons.

 

So, in many cases, cement roads are good but ramps are poorly executed, music is loud but lyrics are filthy, buildings have flawed design but coat of paint is shining, appliances are good only till they require first repairs, food items taste spicy but are made with sub-standard ingredients, writing is becoming a lost art and hence use of AI is increasing. Several such consequences of compromises made on general awareness can be cited to explain the situation. But, in the fast-moving world where what matters is only speed-and-scale combination, who cares about correcting the mistakes of the past. So, everyone gets along like a train moving from one silo to another, leaving behind chug of sighs about how quality is becoming a casualty in the era of quantity. This, too, qualifies to be described as a chug, doesn’t it?