Summary
- What is the importance of the student community?
- What role does the student community play in society?
Man is a social animal for all intents and purposes spending a great deal of his life monumental within the dictates of society.
At each significant stage in life, man essays an altogether different role as a component of the social structure. Be it childhood, youth, adulthood or sunset years, each stage has a valuable and momentous contribution to make.
The Role of Students in The Society
Years spent as a student constitute the most impressionable of times wherein an individual garners essential knowledge, much-needed skill and life experiences while forming valuable relationships.
Undoubtedly thus, students are the most important components of society. This position elevates their social responsibility to an altogether higher degree wherein their duty as responsible students in their community shapes social structure, functioning and allied determinants.
It is indeed undeniable that one cannot live in complete isolation from society and so applies to a student as well.
One is in a constant state of give and take from society. Thereby the intermediary links constructed between a student and the social structure thus influence the importance of students in society making them significant contributors.
1. Contribution to Literacy
The realm of literacy in the social structure has always been a grave cause of concern wherein a large stratum of society remains devoid of the right to literacy.
This deprivation is resultant of various factors such as that of poverty, unemployment, lack of awareness, gender and caste discrimination etc.
Thus, the role of students in modern society that takes into account literacy as the determinant of a secure future is to ensure that they in different ways contribute to teaching the illiterate, motivating one and all to take the leap towards education and strengthening the foundations of the nation.
Literacy campaigns, libraries, book exchanges, community literacy programmes and so on are not a distant dream if the student community vows to furnish their social responsibility.
2. Fight Against Antisocial Activities
Crucial concerns of modern society stem from a rise in antisocial activities and their hazardous consequences.
Theft, corruption, murder, black marketing, exploitation of women, weaker sections, rape and harassment compromise safe living standards as well as tarnish the social image.
In such a scenario, the ambition of students must be to work towards the total eradication of these social disabilities.
With the rise of social media, the right to speak up in democracy and the consolidation of student power, adequate solutions can be implemented to put an end to these burning social issues and thereby promote an equal, harmonious and lawful society.
The aim of social welfare is yet another goal which is realized through blood donation camps, relief funds, tending to the sick, needy and destitute, offering vulnerable animals a home and developing a sense of helpfulness, kindness and moral responsibility towards the society. Students in modern society must therefore be a catalyst for change and actualization of social welfare.
3. Say No to Drugs and Alcohol
Drug and alcohol addiction has long since blinded youth, deviated individuals from a healthy, progressive life and most of all led to a number of personal and social problems.
Addictions paralyze an individual, metaphorically if not physically and so hinder personal growth, kill ambition and engulf one in a sense of nothingness and denial.
Used as an escape mechanism, drugs and alcohol disrupt family life, and happiness, lead to poverty and stunt the contribution of individuals to the nation.
The drive of students thus must be to educate, sensitize and promote addiction-free living through various mediums such as that campaigns, street plays, social media, talks, volunteering at NGOs and de-addiction centres and so on.
4. Pioneers of Technological Advancements
Scientific advancement, innovation and novelty are the factors that make a nation stand out from the rest in the modern world. With young minds bubbling with a scientific temperament, drive to discover, and strive for innovation and progress, the contribution of students to society is thus exercised.
Young scientists in space organizations, students who have made innovations beyond their age, child prodigies, young interns with a zeal to learn and grow, and students who have opened up classes to educate their underprivileged contemporaries; there is active and noteworthy participation from the student community.
Rakeshkrishna K, a 16-year-old from Puttur taluk in Karnataka built a seedographer that eases out the tedium of seed-sowing for farmers and cuts down their investment in unskilled manpower.
5. Pride of The Nation
Young achievers making their mark in the arena of sports and athletics thereby add to their role as student contributors as promoters of physical fitness, national pride and integral value systems.
Sports builds confidence, the ability to make decisions, not crack under pressure, to be a great leader and most of all, to build meaningful relationships.
Young individuals with an enthusiasm for sports are thus ambassadors of fitness and overall wellbeing. Quite many have made the nation proud on various state, national and international platforms.
Mehuli Ghosh, a 17-year-old shooter has made the nation proud with her debut in the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast and also won eight gold medals on various platforms thereafter.
6. Sustainable Development
With the rise of climate change, pollution and other ecological imbalances, calamities and disasters have become a common factor in present times.
As catalysts of change, students in our society incline towards an active contribution to disaster prevention and management.
In a capitalistic society, development is usually exploitative in a way that it is absolutely capital oriented and does not in any way take into account other side effects.
Thus, as responsible students who have imbibed something from their extensive and industrious syllabus, one must be able to move towards a sustainable development that not only takes into account modern needs but also saves enough for future generations.
Licypriya Kangujam, a 10-year-old child environmental activist from India has addressed world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2019, in Spain, requesting for immediate action in the area of climate change.
7. Strong Value System
As the pioneers of change, students must work to annihilate caste, the evils of untouchability and promote gender equality. The caste and gender conflict has been at the heart of the Indian psyche since times immemorial.
Thereby, atrocities based on caste and gender hierarchy have impacted and destroyed the lives of men and women depriving them of opportunities, privileges, freedoms and the right to a decent standard of living.
As responsible citizens, students as a part of the community must navigate alternate ways of living, rising above gender, caste, religion and everything that holds us back.
8. Ecological Responsibility
Pollution has changed the world in ways that to a large extent cannot be reversed. Inconsistent rainfall patterns and soil erosion owing to deforestation, melting ice caps and rising sea levels due to ozone rupture, alarming natural phenomena and unpredictable weather patterns resultant from pollution; the balance of nature is under threat.
Numerous plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction while the survival of man is largely a threat.
Thus, students are habituated to these issues, equipped to tackle them in their little ways, indulge in afforestation, water and soil conservation, cut down on pollution and so on.
Their curriculum consists therefore of extensive environmental studies so that they may be better able to exercise their role as students.
9. Service to The Nation
It is the duty of each and every citizen of the nation to serve the country at any time required. The members of the defence forces of the Army, Navy and Airforce strive hard for the protection of each and every citizen of the nation, sacrificing their own lives.
There is no nobler profession than that of the defence forces and doctors. The youth first as student role models and later as doctors, engineers, scientists and government servants with their political sensibilities, can contribute to the nation.
10. The Voice of Society
The power of youth is such that their voice will be heard in society and thereby they can speak up for the marginalized, work for social good, place demands and have them sanctioned.
The duty of students must be to act as role models for others in the society and the generations to come and thereby make society a better place to live in.
Conclusion
In a constant engagement of give and take, students need to meet up to certain expectations of society. In their life span, students do take a lot from parents, teachers and society at large.
Thus, it becomes their moral responsibility to exercise their role as students in society and turn into productive members, building a secure future for themselves and society.
It is important for every individual to go by the principle “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
