On Wed, May 15, 2013 at 6:57 AM, steve <[email protected]> wrote: That said, there are a few realities that are specific to India which act as > deterrents or disadvantages toward entrepreneurship in India. This articles > covers some of these problem: > > > http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-01-25/news/36548273_1_young-entrepreneurs-seedfund-job > > I enjoyed this informative article. One factor it briefly mentions is the role of education in curbing entrepreneurship in India. Education in India IMHO, seems to be optimized for the most common-case: take a rural child, and impart skills that make her/him financially self-sustaining. Basically we mold children to get jobs. Education is highly competitive, and has a hierarchical caste system that would impress Aldous Huxley. The Alphas, the students with the highest marks, study Science. Alphas bifurcate into Maths ( Engineers etc. ) or Biology ( Doctors etc. ). The Betas, the students with Ok marks, study Commerce. The Gammas, are the students with low marks. The Gammas study Arts and Humanities.
So, what's wrong with this picture? It certainly seems that all those Commerce students should become entrepreneurs. Turns out that most students are breathlessly escaping the poverty of the previous generation. The mindset is very utilitarian. Get a good job with more pay, and you're Ok. :) Problem is, we have already taught everyone that Art is for losers. We are geared more towards producing Bill Gates than Steve Jobs. ( The dichotomy is false, but I will use it anyway. :) Our educational system is designed to churn out money-making robots, rather than imaginative, creative beings. Hard work is not enough to become an entrepreneur! Entrepreneurship takes courage, and imagination. Art teaches those qualities. Entrepreneurs go beyond just getting a job, like the system programmed everyone to. Entrepreneurs have hacked the OS that the CBSE installed in their brains. Entrepreneurship demands artistic vision, not merely numbers! For all my criticism of the Indian education system, I approve of its utilitarian goals. Reality is, India is a nation that is slowly but surely escaping the clutches of poverty. We do need Engineers, lots of them! I wish that we would inculcate a healthy respect for Art. Art is the magic ingredient that will make students more well-rounded, and entrepreneurial. Beyond that, Art makes people happier. Here is some of my amateur art: http://bit.ly/artislife Cheers, - Ashwin. ================================================= Subvert the dominant paradigm. Repeat as desired. http://ownlifeful.com/ _______________________________________________ ILUGC Mailing List: http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/mailman/listinfo/ilugc
