Is the Growing level of Competition Good for the Youth? | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Introduction

The recent decades have seen an increased level of competition among the youth. The resources are limited, but claimants are disproportionately more. Internet and information technology have unleashed the potential of the youth. Global companies flock to hire Indian youth as their potential workers. If this has opened the doors of opportunities for the youth, it has also increased competition manifold. And, competition can have varied effects.

Effects of Competition

Competition, per se, is good as it encourages innovation and motivates effort towards betterment. Increasing competition brings out the best in the person as well as in society. It drives one to reach the highest potential, which results in new solutions, products, and technologies. On the other hand, lack of competition can kill a person’s motivation. The competition serves a positive purpose in society and among the individuals.
On the flip side, competition forces one to exert oneself. This leads to enormous mental and physical stress. When a society is under the cut-throat competition, the ends become more important than means. Often, competition breeds animosity among competing individuals. In consequence, bitterness creeps into their relationships. An appropriate quote reflecting growing competition among youth is ‘It’s better to burn out than to fade away’. Competition is a race no one wants to lose. It leads to either of the two consequences: strive either to fall in the league of the privileged or fall apart!
Competition is ubiquitous for the Youth all over the world. In India, it is acute because resources are limited while employable youth population is huge and growing. It comprises adolescents and adults residing in diverse backgrounds, namely metropolitan, urban, and rural. The national dynamics evidently do not provide a level playing field to the youths in competition. Disparities become noticeable as early as fifteen years of age, with writing a public exam for the first time. The competition becomes stiffer, seeking admission for a degree and further struggling to make a career. In the process, the one who manages to eke out a living walks over a multitude of also-rans. However, competition doesn’t end here. Quest for greener pastures of life, laurels, social recognition, etc., keeps one on toes all the time.

Competition in Diverse

Pursuits Competition is intricately correlated to education. According to figures available, nearly 4 lakh secondary school pass-outs apply for limited professional courses topped by engineering/medicine. There are only very few quality institutes, the rest are sub-standard. The handful of premier institutions across the country leads to a cut throat competition every year. The cut-offs increase every year. For admission to Delhi University this year, not very surprisingly, the cut-off in some subjects went as high as 100 percent. This was unheard of a decade to two ago.
In an ideal society, students pursue the career of their choice, and positions are filled in by the aspirants who are passionate about a certain profession and interested in excelling in it. The bizarre situation in India is that many applicants for a Class IV job requiring minimal educational qualification are highly qualified engineering graduates, Masters, and PhD degree holders! Competition, at the same time, is not confined to academics only. It extends to other pursuits, namely sports, performing arts, and others.
There should be no competition in society for the necessities of life. The competition should be for professional and personal growth. The competition should be for higher pursuits in life. Some examples of such competition include competition among professionals for getting published in research journals, competition for creating innovative marketing opportunities, and competition for the development of innovative scientific and technological tools. The competition of this nature is healthy for the growth of the nation and its people. The competition is best noticed in the corporate world. The competition is healthy and advantageous here. Incorporate sector, the competitive spirit among the employees elevates them. The organization to gets benefited by growing and achieving innovative strategies and products. Competition, however, gets unhealthy in several scenarios.

Unhealthy Competition

Competition gets unhealthy when winning is the sole reason to compete. In such cases, morals are set aside, and the rules of the game are ignored. When a competitor is obsessed with overpowering and outsmarting others, it is unhealthy. Ideally, a person should be concerned with personal growth and development in competition. Unhealthy competition promotes the decay of values in an individual. It hinders one’s capabilities to perform in a team when the sole motive is one-up-manship. Intense rivalry and competition lead to pressure. It is easy to succumb to it. It can result in serious consequences like higher stress and anxiety levels, and depression. There are numerous reports of students committing suicide. There are unethical practices for out of-turn promotions. Athletes fall into the trap of doping. There are many genuine sportspersons and athletes whose chances were scuttled by the deceit and unethical means adopted by their rivals.
Competition works on herd mentality. One is the by product of another. It is not important to know who started it all and how. What it can lead to is far more serious. A sheep that follows another blindly is bound to fall off the cliff. This is what our youth is going through today. They force themselves to join the rat race for better prospects. They should perform a self analysis instead; and choose a career by their individual interest, inclination, and aptitude.

Way Forward

Competition, if over emphasized, can seriously harm the ones who could not make it. It is important to find out ways to improve the present model of competition. It should be inculcated among the Youth that failures are the stepping stones to success, and instead of succumbing to successive failures, one should turn over a leaf. The role of the parents is important in bringing about this cultural change. They tell their children that the big bad world out there needs to be won at any cost. This is not the right education and guidance. Parents must cultivate values for the round development of their wards. They should encourage their children to set realistic goals in life.
The policymakers and the Human Resource departments of organisations also have a vital role in moderating unhealthy competition and upgrading work culture. They must establish an open line of communication with the employees to regularly assess their stress levels and discontent and address their grievances at the source.

Conclusion

Youth is vulnerable to competitive urge. They should be shown that mindless competition is not a prerequisite for success, and one can be successful, if not in one, then in any field of their choice. Success stories of people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Dhirubhai Ambani, who carved a niche for themselves instead of joining the rat race, should be included in the school curriculum to inspire young minds.
Former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam said that the ignited mind of the youth of a country is the most powerful resource of the earth, above the earth and under the earth. It is the nation's duty as a whole to optimally utilize this valuable resource.