Climbing the stairs of a housing society in Agra, Ramwati looked unusually tired today. In her hands were a broom and a mop, but on her mind sat a heavier load, the uncertainty surrounding the government’s newly implemented labour codes. Only the night before, news anchors had described these changes as “historic reforms,” promising increased jobs, simplified wage systems, and a modernised labour market. Social media threads echoed this optimism.

In the dusty lanes of a small village in Bihar, 19-year-old Ramvati was once branded an ‘untouchable’. Women would step back when she approached the well. Even her shadow was considered inauspicious. But after completing her graduation and learning English, that same Ramvati now sits in a call centre in Gurugram, speaking across continents to customers. Here, no one asks her caste. Her worth is measured by her clarity of speech, politeness, and dedication to her work.

Ask any unemployed youth in India today, “What are you doing?” and chances are the reply will come pat, “Preparing for the IAS.” As if there’s only one sacred route left to serve the nation, by becoming a District Collector!

Once, they played with the flames of revolution; they were the engines of social change. Today, the brave warriors of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, Youth Congress, and Students Federation are now playing flutes and tambourines. Attractive pay packages, new lifestyles, career planning, foreign trips, evening outings, and live-in relationships have trapped today's youth in a web—they no longer dream of revolution. Thinking about the nation and society? So outdated!!

The chalkboards are empty, classrooms lie abandoned, and instead of guiding students through lessons, teachers across India are marching through streets with placards and anger.

From the white dust of chalk to the digital glow of ChatGPT—the journey of education has been nothing short of magical. Once, dreams were painted on blackboards with chalk; today, those very dreams have found new wings in the world of smartboards and AI.