India is a country with a lot of patriotic tales shining in its history. We are the one where the first
thing that a child learns is to live for his country. The schools have a curriculum to plant
patriotism in our children. But if this is true then why are the Indian students not willing to join
the armed forces? Why they want to study & settle down in abroad? Why the young ones are
more focused in achieving personal goals?
The Indian armed forces are lacking the youth with
will & wisdom to protect the honor of the country. What should be done to encourage the youth
to work towards national progress & help the country achieve its goals?
Providing basic military training to the youth will result in a better and well motivated youth
which can serve the country at the time of requirement. The easiest way is to incorporate it in the
academic curriculums that will not only teach outdoor survival skills, improve problem solving
skills, reduce recidivism but also enhance teamwork and develop leadership skills.
Taking the initiative in this direction, a 7-day undergraduate military training camp was
organized by Amity University for students at Amity military college, Manesar. A total of 120
cadets attended the military camp divided into 3 platoons. The cadets were allotted tents and
provided with the utensils for meals making them to imbibe the qualities of survival tactics and
self dependence. The adventurous journey included rock climbing, parasailing, obstacles, firing
at a shooting range of 25 m, rappelling, tracking( day and night), trip to herbal garden and many
more that made the training thrilling and exciting. To inculcate the habit of participation in group
activities and group discussions activities like tug of war and debate competitions were also
organized. The cadets and faculty found themselves drawn into the expedition in a visceral way
through various guest lectures. These sessions arose a feeling of patriotism in every heart
reminding us of our responsibilities and duty towards our nation. Various fun activities like dog
show, movie shows and DJ night kept the environment light and filled students with positive energy.
Such adventure learning programs provide heightened motivation, excitement, community-
building, real-world understanding, and learner participation. Teachers and students alike
become engaged in learning in a new and impactful way as they follow along with the
adventures of the team. They also found themselves engaged with the issues that are raised, and
collaborate to craft new ways to contribute to solve issues. Such activities and training camps
will not only inculcate an essence of camaraderie and brotherhood amongst the students but will
also bring in synergy and make students understand the work ethos.
The programs like National Cadet Corps (NCC) & National Scout & Guide should be practiced
at large scale in all the institutions. The academic curriculum should be amended accordingly to
include such training camps from the grass root level. This will definitely help in motivating the
youth to join the armed forces that are in real need of youth in all the ranks.
Amita Chourasiya
Lecturer