The non fiction book “What Young India Wants” is a collection of essays on different topics. Some of the essays are very generic, but some highlight issues which are not featured in the mainstream media. One is how young India wants to be spoonfed , and does not value hard work. This has been my personal experience with many “young” and often mediocre freelancers, who want everything to be taught to them,and are unwilling to spend any time and money to experiment and learn the hard way.

In another essay “Sparks” is how the spark in a person is killed by unfairness and frustration.To quote “Unfairness – this is hardest to deal with , but unfortunately this is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree, find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere.” This explains why some industries attract talent and grow rapidly, while others do not. The engineering industry is comparatively fair, as it acknowledges talent and hardwork, an experienced engineer is valued. In any industry, the industry leaders should decide, do they only those connected to them/good looking persons to grow or is merit more important?

“Where’s my Nobel Prize?” talks about why India doesn’t excel on the world stage consistently. Unlike the US where talent is respected, seen as something to be emulated, in India talent is not valued. To quote “a talented person’s stature is below that of someone with connections, hereditary entitlement, pedigree or even experience” The reason could be the traditional caste system in India, which still makes its presence felt even in urban India or how individuals with “genuine talent or merit are criticized because it elevates them above their peers” . As he correctly points out a society where well connected individuals do better than people with ability results in a lot of talent being unused, a waste of national resources, and frustration in people. Most large companies in India are family owned where connections matter, but there are a few professionally managed companies , where talent is also a consideration.

What Young India Wants
Author : Chetan Bhagat
Pages: 181
Publisher : Rupa Publications Pvt. Ltd
Year: 2012