India’s middle-class mother and father are proudly elevating readers. However are they unintentionally elevating weak youngsters?
That’s the uncomfortable query Rajiv Khati, Founder and MD at TashTam Group, is asking in a viral LinkedIn put up that takes direct purpose at India’s “poisonous studying tradition.”
Khati writes: “Mother and father celebrating their little one’s digital bookshelf as a substitute of their real-world braveness.” His core critique? We’ve glorified consumption—books, programs, certificates—whereas abandoning the self-discipline of real-world mastery.
“Our youngsters are plugged in, however tuned out,” Khati says. “As soon as upon a time, information was energy. Right this moment, it is paralysis.”
Regardless of infinite entry to on-line expertise, motivational books, and life hacks, India’s city youngsters have gotten “hyper-educated and underprepared.” They freeze in real-world conditions, overthink as a substitute of act, and scroll by means of success as a substitute of constructing it.
On the coronary heart of this disaster, he says, is a harmful phantasm: “Info ≠ transformation.”
Khati calls out the performative obsession with books: High 10 lists posted on-line, youngsters studying about grit whereas avoiding discomfort, and audiobooks performed endlessly with out making use of a single concept. “Studying with out context, reflection, or motion is mental masturbation,” he writes.
And the basis is cultural. “India is importing a poisonous studying tradition,” Khati says. Mantras like learn 100 books a 12 months and take 5 programs directly have changed precise expertise with dopamine-driven overconsumption.
The end result? “Fluent in idea, frozen in actuality. Nice on paper, ineffective in a disaster. Excessive IQ, low resilience.”
His name to oldsters is evident: cease counting books. Begin counting real-world experiences.
“What have they constructed?” he asks. “What have they failed at? What arduous conditions have they confronted with out your assist?”
He urges mother and father to cease insulating youngsters from discomfort. “Allow them to expertise ache. Allow them to navigate battle. Allow them to determine issues out with out Googling every part.”
Khati’ pushes for a special form of intelligence: “Increase youngsters who can stroll into chaos and keep calm… who can take a punch—mentally, emotionally, bodily—and nonetheless transfer ahead. India doesn’t want extra good folks. It wants robust folks.”