Today’s youth face a range of challenges, including economic instability, unemployment, and limited opportunities for meaningful participation in governance.

From Information to Wisdom: Evolution of Society in a Changing World

• Changing Nature of Society: The current world is fundamentally different from that of previous generations, with change being the only constant. 
  • Those who fail to adapt and continuously learn risk becoming irrelevant.
• Stages of Evolution Of Society: The Society has evolved through three stages:
  • Information: This is the raw material or data. 
    • Example: A patient listing symptoms like fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
  • Knowledge: This involves connecting the raw information to draw a conclusion or create a product. 
    • Example: A doctor using symptoms and reports to diagnose pneumonia.
  • Wisdom: This is the highest stage, involving the implementation of knowledge using empathy, humanity, and an understanding of right and wrong. 
    • Example: A doctor prescribing affordable generic drugs considering the patient’s financial condition.
  • Today’s era is moving toward a Wisdom Society, having moved past the Information Society.

Opportunities for Youth In Present Times

• Lifelong Learning: Government policies encourage continuous learning beyond a single degree. 
  • The National Education Policy 2020 introduced a Multiple Entry-Exit System, allowing students to pause and rejoin courses with certificates, diplomas, or degrees.
  • Platforms like SWAYAM provide online courses from premier institutes such as IITs and IIMs.
• Focus on Innovation: The government is shifting focus from merely seeking jobs to emphasizing innovation, research, and problem-solving.
  • Support is given to new ideas through initiatives like the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) labs in schools, which encourage practical learning.
• Job Creation: Schemes like Stand Up India and Mudra Scheme encourage youth to become job creators.
• Resource Access: It is significantly easier today to obtain resources, not just from the government, but also from the private sector.

Challenges for Youth In Present Situation

• Global Complexity: Everything—economy, politics, environment—is interconnected globally, for example the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted commodity prices worldwide.
  • Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deepfakes are often used by criminals, even if the technology originates elsewhere.
• Brutal Competition: There is intense competition in every sphere, with limited opportunities being pursued by vast numbers of people. 
  • This creates intense pressure for success.
• Societal Insensitivity: Society has become insensitive, partly due to the prevalence of emotional manipulation through fake content online (infodemics, fake help pleas), leading to a loss of empathy.
• Online Aggression and Loneliness: Trolling is widespread because individuals feel anonymous online. 
  • Despite being digitally connected via social media, urban loneliness is a significant issue.
• Aggressive Mindset: Youth, both in India and abroad, are increasingly displaying an aggressive attitude and support for violence or armed conflict.
• Uncertain Future: Today’s youth face leaders preoccupied with power, accumulation of wealth, and societal division. 
  • Systemic corruption, paper leaks, and jobs for land scams erode trust, making the future uncertain and creating restlessness.

Way Forward

• Call for Orderly Change: While Indian youth have the power to challenge corruption and nepotism, India does not seek anarchy or situations like those in Nepal or Bhutan.
  • Indian Youth should focus on demanding reforms within the system, rather than disruption.
• Government’s Proactive Action: To avoid instability, the government must create forums where youth can voice their concerns and feel heard.
  • Systemic reforms are required to address persistent corruption, nepotism, and commission-based governance.

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