Holding the future

COUNTRY: India
ITEM TYPE: Essasy
WORD / LINE COUNT: 1134
PROMPT FOLLOWED: Picture prompt



The multitude of colours, the cheerful jibes and the boisterous laughs, a perfect combination of the energy,enthusiasm and restlessness that every one in the room shared.

The class of 2013 was stepping into the auditorium for the last time as student, before they would step out of the college as engineering graduates.

“Hey Sameer you remember the first technical talk we attended in this hall, that is where we were sitting” Abhay pointed to the corner seats of the auditorium recollecting his memories of the first year as a student. Sameer just nodded absent mindedly his eyes fixed on the entrance as Sheetal made her entrance to the hall.
“Forget him now, he can’t hear you any more” Abha poked Sameer making fun of his crush on Sheetal which he had always refused to accept.

The farewell functions at a graduation college are filled with recollections of memories created in the four years, of time spent with friends laughing, fighting, clearing misunderstandings,and end with vows to keep the bond of friendship across time and distances.

What we as faculties see in the farewells is a different picture all together. These were the same students who had entered the corridors of the department four years back. Students, who seemed unsure whether they had chosen the right course or college , unsure what they wanted as their career for their future, now transform into individuals ready to take on the world head on. Rearing to attack every challenge thrown at them, to prove to the world their abilities and eyes filled with dreams of unparalleled success.

As I walked past the first row of the students I noticed Suraj seeming unusually lost for his usual hyper active personality.

“Everything fine Suraj?”

Suraj looked up with slightly moist eyes “Could not have been better sir” giving a weak smile he looked down at his lap and continued “Was just recalling the first day I had come to the college, I was so scared,so confused and unsure about everything, the course, the college my future everything,“

Sunil looked at him surprised to it from a student who had appeared so focussed , and was holding a job offer to one of the largest organization in the country,

“ But everyone in the college, the department, always made sure that I was pointed to the right direction. I was exposed to so many possibilities of careers and future in these years that it made me get over all my scare.

“So now you are sure what you want to do with your career ?” Asked Sunil, elated within to hear the praise for the college and department.
“Yes sir, I am absolutely sure “ Suraj answered with a beaming smile.

I turned and looked around at the crowd, how many of those standing in that room shared the same feeling as Suraj, and then how many of the thousands of graduates passing out in the year across the country shared it.



There are no dearth of universities in our country but what we severely lack are places for learning which allow people to flourish and achieve their full potential unhindered.

The universities and colleges are filled with students who are constantly under pressure to perform, but not to learn. The constant pressure is to have great grades on the marks sheet rather than learning the skills required. Exams and systems oriented to test their ability to remember rather than apply the knowledge leaves the students ill equipped to handle the practical issues in the real world.


The Times Higher Education report says that the graduates of the country severely lack the skill required for the workspace in a global scenario and they refer to not only the technical skills. A successful career needs as much as technical skills as people skills. Skill that help in communicating in a multicultural society and to be able to understand the dynamics of human interactions as much as the technical aspects of a problem. But there are hardly any universities which give such training or prepare them in the aspect of people skills.

In the world today where machines seems to be taking over so many of the human jobs it becomes extremely important for the youngsters to be emotionally equipped to handle challenges in life as much as technically. But the state of affairs currently is sadly not aimed at anywhere equipping the students emotionally.


The cut throat competition, the constant requirement to excel in academics often leaves students grappling with depression and low self esteem. Not many institutes encourage the students or give them the latitude to develop skill beyond the academics which restricts their overall development.
This constant pressure is one of the reasons why statistics suggest that one student commits suicide every hour in the country, an alarming and a worrying number for sure.

At times like these the universities and faculties to modify their curriculum and teaching methods to ensure that it will help the students adapt to modern needs and equip students with the demands of the current industry as well as current times.

Around 8 lakh students graduate every year from various college across the country, and to prepare this huge number of students for their successful future is a challenge that the country and its universities have to rise up to.

In the times higher education rankings, the first Indian university that appears is Indian Institute of Science , beyond the rank of 250 . For a country that has the largest population in the world it surely needs universities which perform better and prepare students better for their futures.

The onus of preparing the generation has to be a joint effort by the government,schools and the universities. Each player has to play its role to ensure that the next generation is not left unprepared to fight a world that is changing at a rapid pace,to ensure that the generation has the tools and the skills required to achieve success competing with anyone across the globe.

As I walked out of the hall still thinking about how the college can sculpt the future of students his thoughts were interrupted by an elderly voice.

“Excuse me Professor, can you tell me where is the department of Electrical Engineering?”

An elderly person was standing with the college brochure in his hands accompanied by a a young guy who seemed like his son.

As I guided them to the department, I realized that as I was looking back at batch passing out and wondering what did they get out of their education a new young batch was already ready to enter the arms of the university filled with hopes and aspirations,hoping that the college will be the guiding force to achieve success in what that they dream of.

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