”Beta, Science le lo… Bohot scope hai.”


Yes, it is a cliché. India – A country with diverse religions but only two occupations? While one road leads to math infested world of Engineering, the other to a dissection crazed domain of Medical.

Students who take up science post their school fall into one of the following categories –

  1. A genuine interest in the field
  2. Parents said -”Beta, Science le lo… Bohot scope hai.”

What parents/society fail to convey is that their definition of scope is limited to Engineering or Medical. Before you get all defensive, what more do you expect from a country which produces 50,000 medical graduates and 1.5 million engineering graduates every year! To put things into perspective, US produces 18,000 doctors and 2 lakh engineers per annum. So, are we incorrect when we claim that India is an Engineers-Producing factory?!

Ironically fun fact – 80% of the engineers produced in India are unemployable. Engineering in india is no longer a matter a choice; it is no longer a profession – It is a religion! It is not surprising that more than half of these ‘engineers’ are not even interested in engineering anymore. It’s as if that engineering is a stepping stone to self discovery – You get into engineering to understand what is it that you truly want to do in life.

Don’t get us wrong, we hold nothing against doctors and/or engineers. What we are against is the hype associated with them which curbs the child’s right to choose. We’re against the system that is driving 17 year old children to commit suicide. If you think it’s not all bad, just glance at the number of student suicides. The number of teenagers who seem to have no choice other than succumb to death. You can picture how terrible the situation is when the ‘youth’ of our country choose to kill themselves. We’re against the norm which pressurizes a kid to an extent that he falls prey to drug/substance abuse. We’re simply against the conventional rat race.

We need scientists, doctors, engineers and techies to lead the world into the next century – to cure cancer and Alzheimer’s, to create a fossil free world, to strengthen our technological curiosity. But does that mean that we have to look down at every other profession? Do we not need writers, poets, directors and musicians? Accountants, photographers, lawyers and journalists? Why are the other professions not treated with as much respect and admiration?

We need a change. We need a change to protect the dreams of all the confused kids out there, to save lives of all the depressed teenagers who are struggling. We NEED a change. The first step begins with us – as parents and guardians, shouldn’t we provide our children with the freedom to choose their path and be there to support and guide them? Instead, we train them, from day one, to be a part of the rat race and expect marvellous results. How is this fair?

We have to adapt and learn to be the air under wings instead of a noose around their neck. In a country celebrated for its diversity, it’s time to introduce a different form of diversity. In a country where human resources are so abundant, it’s time to nurture the humans into smart individuals. The change begins with one thought. The question is – Are we, as individuals, ready to see the reality?

 

  • Simran Bhamra
    • A conventional girl, who studied engineering, with a flair for brazen expression and incessant questioning through her writing. Oh, also the head content writer at www.digitelher.com

1 thought on “”Beta, Science le lo… Bohot scope hai.”

  1. Very true
    Education is for improving life of other’s, for making community and world a better place. But here we are taught to improve only our life, hell with other’s.

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