STUDENT UNREST

The responsibility of making history rests on the shoulders of the

young generation known as youths. It is only the youth that can and will
make the history. So students need to be considered important part of
various policies. Right from the vedic era down to the modern times,
students have played vital role in national reconstruction and national
integration. But now wide spread frustration among students have been
reported from various quarters and they instead of becoming a positive
force in nation building, are getting increasingly resentful. They are
showing their discontentment by behaving against social norms in a manner
which bewilder the elders. Thus the problem of student unrest is not only a
cause of worry to the educational administrative authorities, but it has
become a national concern Babita Singh (2013).

1.2. MEANING OF STUDENT UNREST

The phrase student unrest usually refers to demonstrations, the

occupation of campus buildings and even some minor riots by students in the
period from about 1967 till the early 1970s. It affected most of the Western
Europe and the U.S. Nearly all the students involved were oppose to the role of
the U.S. in the Vietnam War. Beyond that, student grievances tended to vary
from country to country.

Student unrest was most prolonged and violent in West Germany.

There the students were not only protesting against overcrowding in the
universities but what they say as the failure of their parents to confront
Nazism properly.

In May 1968 student rioting, combined with widespread strikes,

nearly led to the fall of President de Gaulle

Incidentally, the phrase has nothing to do with feeling restless as a

student or personal fear of failure.

Students’ unrest is the indiscipline shown by students. It is shown in

schools in the form of riots, demonstrations, protests, boycotts, harassments,
etc. it is becoming a disturbing trend in the economy’s socio-political life. It
is essential that students’ unrest is checked before it reaches an alarming
level and it poses a great threat to our social development.

Student’s unrest is not peculiar problems, it also happens in Europe

and America. However, in Advanced Countries, students’ unrest is not
conducted in a violent manner. The students protest using means such as
placards display, peaceful rallies, and letters to parliament. The students in
Ghana need to learn how to protest in a non-violent manner. They protest by
burning lives, destroying property, and this is quite appalling. Student
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must be free to exercise their rights. But they must not take things too far.
Students are the leaders of tomorrow, so they must be disciplined now, so
that when they grow they will continue in that path.

1.3. NATURE OF THE UNREST

There has been student unrest all over India. The unrest has not been
confined within educational institutions. There have been student strikes.
There have been student demonstrations in the streets. Many valuable
properties of the universities, colleges and schools have been destroyed.
Even railway properties and other Government properties have been
damaged or destroyed. Students have resorted to violence. Considering it a
problem of law and order, police have come to stop it. They have opened
fire. There have been cases of death as a result of firing. But the police
interference has not been able to stop the agitation of the students. Rather,
the disturbance has spread over new areaS

1.4. CAUSES OF UNREST

We may ask why this student unrest has spread over the whole
country. Students are generally emotional by nature. They are more or less
idealists. They are inspired by noble ideals. They are prepared to sacrifice
their lives for the good of the country. We have seen examples of this. If this
be the case, we should seriously think why they have followed this ignoble
path. There must be some genuine ground for this unrest. Every thoughtful
man should seriously think over the matter and find out the causes of this
unrest. When the causes are found out, there must be remedies for the
removal of those causes of unrest. It seems to us that various causes have
acted on the minds of the students and their reaction is the present unrest.
These causes are social, economic and political. Corruption has crept into
our society. We notice moral degradation in our present society. Many of us
do not hesitate to take dishonest means to gain our ends.

Students of the present age have become more or less politically

conscious. Study should be their sole object in student life. But they cannot
keep themselves completely aloof from the political movement of the
country. Moreover, different political parties make use of the students to
serve their purpose. Political leaders also are not sincere, honest in many
cases. They cannot inspire the students to noble activities. All these cause
work together to create a feeling of dissatisfaction in the students. So the
present unrest is an expression of that dissatisfaction. As a result they begin
agitation to get their grievances removed.
1.5. STUDENTS UNREST IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Students’ unrest is becoming more rampant in secondary schools. It

is however more common in the public schools in the country.

Students in the public schools form gangs, which fight other gangs in
other public schools. There is no peace whenever two or more schools meet.

If they come together for an inter-school competition, the school that

looses wages a war against the winning school. They attack each other with
sticks, stones, or any harmful object. They chase each other and injure
themselves. Unfortunately, the innocent ones suffer. They have to run and
hide so as to escape from the bad students otherwise known as the “mafia”.
The teachers can do nothing, but run. They cannot stop the students from
fighting.

Students’ unrest in Secondary Schools also manifests itself in the

relationship between teachers and students in the public schools. When a
teacher tries to impose discipline or stick to strict guidelines, students
sometimes resist. After the class, the students gang up and threaten or even
attack the teacher. The teacher can no longer discipline the students because
he fears that he might also be disciplined.

1.6. STUDENT UNREST IN INDIA

India is facing the trouble of rising indiscipline among the students.

Student unrest in India has assumed frightening magnitude. This is a danger
to our traditions and our national entity. The frequency reluctance among
the students is nothing but a manifestation of universal frustration and
disapproval prevailing among them.

Students in India are resorting to the acts of violence need to be

understood. We have noticed of that students go wild, throwing stones, etc.
Their meaningless action results in the brutal suppression by the police
officers who make them the targets of their gun and sticks. The reason
behind this unrest among Indian Students is a plethora of frustration,
grievances and anxiety of the students. The inability of the authorities
resolve to the grievances and demands of the students results in the
indulgence of the students in the acts of violence, strikes and
demonstrations.

The students complain that the tuition fees are very high and their
parents can’t afford to pay such high charges. They also criticize the badly
equipped libraries, improper admission facilities, overloaded class rooms,
insufficient and incompetent, lack of vocational education and bitter
teacher-student relationships. English is a foreign language and most of the
students fail in the subject. All of these causes are responsible for diverting
the attention of the students from their primary objectives.
 The school and college authority does not pay attention to the
justifiable demands of the Indian students. Students are the pillars of an
India’s future. They have an incredible pool of vigour and if it is
channelized in a right path, it could work miracles.

However, if Students in India are not guided properly in the right

direction, it could spell disaster. The response to the student violence should
never be lathi-charge, but they have to be dealt with in a careful manner.
The rules for militants and students cannot be the same. Students are the
foundation of our country’s growth and future. Indian Education System
should address the grievances and frustration of the students to end the
vicious circle of unrest among students Anurag Roy on (October 11, 2013).

1.7. MAIN CAUSES OF STUDENT UNREST IN INDIA

Defective Education System

The present education system does not fulfil its proposed aims and
nor does it give the students any practical skill which can make them
capable of taking up any job after their education.

As a result, the students do not find themselves capable of finding

for themselves. Passing of examination has become the sole aim of present
education.

Aimless Life and Uncertain Future

The present education does not give the student any such
qualifications which may assure to them a certain future. Now- a-days,
there is great unemployment in our country. The report of the Employment
Directorate tells us that during 1965 and 1970, the number of unemployed
persons has doubled.

During 1970 and 1972 it was one and a half times. In 1965, the
number of educated unemployed was about 850,000 . According to the
Director of Employment and Training, in 1972, the number of unemployed
had raised upto 2,500,000.

This situation makes it clear that unemployment in the country is on

the increase. The young generation is the victim of this unemployment.
Consequently, student unrest and indiscipline has touched it peak.

Economic Difficulties
Our economic difficulties have become so complex, that we do not
know as to what will be the economic situation in the future. Most of our
students come from families that are economically poor. Such families
cannot easily give higher education to their children. Sixty percent of our
students generally do not get education after high school.

Out of the remaining, 20 percent students who go to colleges or

university, come from middle class families and 20 percent from upper class
families. The present higher education has become so expensive that the
students find it difficult to bear this burden. So it is natural for students to
agitate.

Excessive Number of Students in the Class

Generally, the number of students in every class is so high that the
students and teachers are unable to establish contact with each other, that is,
the teachers are unable to understand the difficulties of individual students.

Likewise, the personality of the teacher has no impact on the

students. There are several colleges and universities where class-rooms,
laboratories, libraries and teachers are not available for several departments.
In such a situation, unrest and indiscipline amongst students is not
surprising.

Defective Teaching Methods

The teaching methods in our schools, colleges and universities have

become defective. They do not arouse curiosity in the students for new
knowledge nor do they increase knowledge. The result is that the students
do not find the classes interesting nor are feeling of respect generated
towards most of the teachers who have an indifferent attitude.

Consequently, students pass the examination by hook or by crook,

such as, cramming or on the basis of guess papers sold freely in the market
or on the basis of copying in the examination-hall by terrorising the
invigilators.

Indifference of the Family-Members

The influence of the family members on the students is negligible to-
day. Parents, elder brothers or sisters pretend to be so busy that they do not
hesitate to say that they have no time to attend to the studies of their wards.

The results is that the students wander about unbridled and they ruin
the conduct find character of others also and thus bring dishonour and
anguish to themselves and their family by their indiscipline behaviour.

Needless to say that so long as the responsible members of the

family do not fulfil their responsibility towards their wards, the indiscipline
prevailing amongst students will not end and nor will the unrest and
discontent calm down.

Unsuitable Teachers
To-day in our schools, colleges and universities, we find many such
teachers who have no interest in their teaching work. All concerned persons
know it well that in every department of colleges and universities, there are
some teachers who do not go to teach in the classes even for a day.

They are either engaged in petty politics or in manipulations. Such

teachers present a wrong example by their behaviour and conduct. As such,
the students coming in contact with such teachers learn nothing but roguery.
 Besides, many teachers suffer from different types of inferiority
complexes. Due to this, some undesirable elements remain inherent in their
behaviour and many students who come under their influence are inclined to
follow suit.

Student-Union
In our various educational centres, the students naturally are eager to
organise unions and generally they are provided adequate facilities to do so.
But in the process of organisation and elections of these unions, various
political parties and teacher-politicians try to serve their vested interests.
The interference of the political elements vitiates the nature of the student
unions in various ways and generates a sense of indiscipline in the students.

Lack of Co-curricular and Creative Activities:

The function of an educational centre is not simply to prepare the

students for examinations. In fact, the aim of education is to develop the
entire personality of the individual harmoniously. This development is not
possible only through the curricular teaching.

For this, various co-curricular activities such as games, sports,

contests, competitions, dramas, music, magazines, collective social service,
etc., are necessary because through them the different aspects of the
personality of a person manifest themselves and attain the high state of
development.

Defective Examination System

The examination system is such that the teaching process has

become dependent on it. The passing of examination has become the sole
aim of education. Due to this examination system, the students have begun
to think that there is no need of studying throughout the year and only a
little study near the examination time will be sufficient.

So rest of the time may be spent recklessly. As a result of this

tendency, the students are left with a lot of unoccupied time which they
spend in indiscipline activities of various types.

Elements of Indiscipline and Anarchy Prevailing in the Society

The elements of indiscipline and anarchy prevailing in the society, in

fact are reflected in the indiscipline behaviour of students. Generally, the
students may be divided in three categories. The first category consists of
those students who are interested in studies and after finishing the studies
they become engineers, doctors, administrators and other Civil Servants.

The second category is of those students who take admission in

colleges and universities simply as a matter of fashion. Such students
mostly come from traders, contractors and other business class families.
 Their aim is not to imbibe the cultural or real nature of learning.
They consider the classes as picnic spots. The third category is of the
student politicians. They are connected with different political parties and at
their instance they indulge in various kinds of indiscipline activities.

The Eighth Five Year Plan is to begin in our country shortly. But
targets fixed regarding education in the first seven Five Year Plans could not
be achieved. Hence our schools, colleges and universities have not become
constructive, cultural and social centres in the real sense.

Under such a situation there is little wonder that our younger

generation is standing on a cross-road, little knowing in which direction to
move. As a result, it is aimless, dissatisfied and misguided. So long as we
are not successful in giving it a right direction, it will continue to remain
discontented and indiscipline.