Entrepreneurship Mindset

From an early age, students are conditioned to view education as a ticket to a good career. Yet, the harsh reality of today's job market reveals a growing disconnect between academic qualifications and job opportunities. Despite years of schooling and higher education, many young graduates struggle to find meaningful employment. The root of this crisis is not simply a lack of jobs or inadequate education, but a systemic failure to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among students.

Sikkim, like many other states, faces the challenge of high unemployment, particularly among its educated youth. The conventional education system prioritizes rote learning and exam scores over critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. This system produces job seekers, not job creators. Yet, in a time when industries are rapidly evolving and traditional job roles are shrinking, we must ask ourselves: are we truly equipping our students for the future?

Policymakers often respond to unemployment by offering temporary solutions such as business loans, tax relief, or subsidies for start-ups. While these measures provide short-term relief, they fail to address the core issue: the mindset of the youth. It’s not enough to give young people access to capital if they don’t have the confidence or skills to take risks, innovate, and build businesses of their own.

In 2019, the Delhi government introduced the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC), a groundbreaking approach to education reform. This initiative seeks to reshape how students view work and opportunity by instilling in them an entrepreneurial mindset. The curriculum is designed not just to impart knowledge but to encourage students to think creatively and independently, preparing them to identify problems in society and create innovative solutions. The Business Blasters program, a core element of the EMC, allows students to launch start-ups with minimal seed capital, providing hands-on experience in entrepreneurship.

While not every student will become a successful entrepreneur, the EMC fosters resilience, adaptability, and a sense of self-reliance—qualities that are essential in today's uncertain economic landscape. Even if a small percentage of students succeed in launching sustainable ventures, the impact on employment and local economies could be profound.

Sikkim now must consider adopting a similar approach. Introducing an Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum in Sikkim’s schools could pave the way for young people to become leaders in sectors like organic farming and ecotourism, and more. Empowering youth to create jobs rather than seek them could transform the state’s economy and reduce its reliance on external opportunities.

It is time for Sikkim to embrace a new educational model, one that prepares its youth not just for the jobs of today, but for the opportunities of tomorrow. An entrepreneurial mindset, fostered early in schools, could be the key to unlocking the state’s economic potential.