Memorising Life

Once a person was asked, “Why do most of the Bengalis not become officials of the highest ranks? They are reduced to serving the capacity of junior staff or subordinate employees.”
The person answered, “Because of today’s system of education and learning. The students of Bengal mostly go for coaching classes and mug up notes given there. Seldom do they try to analyse the matter it contains. This is why the students from other places come to Bengal, study here, and and attain higher position in the hierarchy of life while our own children can’t do that.”
The statement of this person doesn’t just apply for the students of Bengal, but a good portion of students of today. The students feel mugging is a shortcut to score high marks in the exam. They go for so many tuitions, where more than understanding things, they ‘purchase’ the notes from their teacher, and spend days and nights mugging them up, just to replicate them in their answer paper then forget everything. Does this actually serve the need?
The practical knowledge is not yet received. The students can get good marks in the test, but cannot get that knowledge to innovate. They can solve problems, but can’t invent new ways to solve it. As a result, they later become junior staff, following the orders of their senior. They become soldiers, but not kings. They become trend-followers, but can’t ever become trendsetters.
The world is full of such examples where the persons who have succeeded just due to their ability. Isaac Newton never appeared for IIT, but still his name is in science books, and his laws are studied. Bill Gates, a dropout of Harvard University, is now the founder and chairman of Microsoft, where many IITians and engineers are now working under him. There are many more such examples. In this case the teachings of Baba Ranchhor Das is applicable ‘Son, don’t run after success. Run after ability, and success will itself come to you.’
See this article of mine in 'The Times of India' of January 13 in the 'Durgapur Asansol Plus' page.