Revolution 2020

 

     Revolution 2020 By Chetan Bhagat

 

Introduction:-

Chetan Bhagat, a rising star in contemporary modern Indian literature, is a multitalented personality. He is a novelist, columnist, public speaker, and screenplay writer. His notable works include 

• 2 States
• The 3 Mistakes of My Life
• Five Point Someone
• One Night at the Call Center
• Revolution 2020

Most of his literary works address the issues related to Indian youth and their aspirations which earned Bhagat status of the youth icon. He writes about India and its culture. His characters are common middle-class Indians, especially the Indian youth. Being an Indian, he is confident enough to write the social condition of India. 

He has opened a new world of realities, which were hidden today. His simple language and realistic approach made him a crowd-pleaser. Even though the language is simple, exactly produces the impact that is needed. His novels hit the market with great success. Through his light-hearted novels, he tries to point out the dark realities of Indian society. He portrayed the changing urban realities in India in the globalized world. The major themes he handled in his novels are The problems in the Indian education system, unemployment, the dowry system, husband-wife relationship, corruption, racism, ragging, the conflict between daughter and mother-in-law, teacher-student conflict, and the search for identity. Other post-modern writers are also concerned about these issues, but the realistic approach makes Chetan Bhagat different from others. He leads off a campaign against annihilating the evils of society through his sugar-coated novels.

“The Indian education system is a problem that can be fixed. It affects the country's future, impacts almost every family, everyone knows about it and it is commercially viable to fix it” (Bhagat, What Young Indian Wants 119).

Chetan Bhagat relies on brevity in his work. He keeps it simple, without using any verbose sentences. This practice helps him engage with the average audience, who does not want to consult a dictionary or a thesaurus while reading books.

In Chetan Bhagat's novel Revolution 2020, the events unfold in three stages: love, ambition, and corruption. These three stages are depicted through the lives of Gopal, Aarti, and Raghav – the central characters of the novel. Their journey begins in the holy city of Varanasi, where their stories intertwine and take shape, ultimately leading them through the phases of love, ambition, and the harsh realities of corruption.

1) Social realism of corruption in the private education system

Education has been growing fast in India. This is a good thing for the country's progress. However, some bad practices and politics in the education field are causing problems. Most Indian parents want to give their children a good education. Sadly, corruption has spread into the education system. This is ruining its good goals.

Instead of focusing on the overall development of students, many modern schools and colleges are more interested in making money and promoting consumerism. Corruption used to be limited to government offices, businesses, and police stations, but it has now entered the education system too. Schools, which were once respected places of learning, have become like markets selling low-quality education.

Corruption in education means misusing public positions for personal gain. This affects the availability, quality, and fair access to educational services and resources. The Indian education system is currently facing many irregularities and inconsistencies. Shockingly, even the bodies that are supposed to regulate and oversee education in India have been involved in corruption cases. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988[1] is the main law in India to fight corruption in government agencies and public sector companies. Over the years, the judiciary has been working to establish rules to stop unethical, malicious, and profit-driven actions by public officials, which harm the very people they are supposed to serve.

• ISSUES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Education is extremely important in today's world. But the future looks dim when the education system itself has problems. Corruption arises due to new challenges like decentralization and intense competition among students. In the education system, corruption happens through bribes paid for admission or good grades, misuse of funds meant for teaching materials or infrastructure, and other malpractices. All this results in poor quality education, limited access to resources, and a flawed educational system.   

Regulatory bodies set rules and guidelines for educational institutes. Many institutes cannot get affiliation from these bodies as they lack the minimum requirements of teaching and non-teaching staff, laboratories, and equipment prescribed. 

Many private colleges have started offering courses across disciplines without adequate infrastructure or trained faculty. This has led to degrees being sold like commodities. Corrupt institutes make money through entrance tests, coaching centers, etc. They exploit donations in the name of management quota seats to get admission fees. The high fees charged make education unaffordable for many.

Corruption also exists in teacher recruitment leading to favoritism and compromised education quality. A UNESCO report states India has one of the highest teacher absenteeism rates globally at 25%. Though not all absences indicate corruption, they negatively impact student learning. False nominations for student scholarships are rampant, depriving deserving students of funds.

Drawbacks include education being reduced to just tests/exams which neglect assessing a student's character, talent, or skills - leading to no contribution towards national development from this generation. Disgruntled students may be influenced by anti-social elements and indulge in disruptive behavior.

Bribery is one of the most common forms of corruption plaguing the education system. Students or their parents pay bribes to get admission into prestigious educational institutes or colleges, even when they may not meet the eligibility criteria. In some cases, bribes are paid to teachers or officials to get good grades or marks, despite not performing well academically. This is highly unethical and unfair to deserving students who miss out on opportunities.

Another disturbing form of corruption is the misuse and embezzlement of funds meant for educational purposes. Money allocated by the government or other bodies for purchasing teaching materials like books, stationery, or equipment is often siphoned off for personal gains. Funds sanctioned for building or upgrading school/college infrastructure like classrooms, laboratories, libraries, etc. are also frequently misappropriated. This results in an inadequate learning environment for students due to lack of resources.

3) Do you think that an opportunity for a good novel is wasted because the story is told from Gopal's perspective? Can it be better if narrated from Raghav or Aarti's perspective? How would it be better if it was narrated from Raghav or Aarti's perspective? 

Raghav's perspective - Revolution

Aarti's perspective - Love

Gopal's perspective - Corruption

The entire novel is narrated from Gopal Mishra's point of view, as he shares his life story with Chetan Bhagat, who is a character in the book. If the novel was narrated from Raghav Kashyap's perspective, it might have been a better novel. Why?

When we read a story, the perspective it's told from is crucial. But saying a novel is wasted because it's from one character's viewpoint, like Gopal's, might not be entirely fair. Regardless of whose perspective it's from, what matters most in a story are the characters' development and the main idea conveyed. In this novel, it feels like the focus is more on promoting the book and the love story rather than addressing real struggles and issues. So, no matter the viewpoint, the story's essence might stay the same because of how the writer approaches it.

If we switch perspectives, say to Aarti's, the story might still revolve around the love triangle but with more insight into her romantic struggles. Alternatively, seeing things through Raghav's eyes could shed light on political and journalistic challenges. So, yes, Raghav's perspective might be more preferable for a richer narrative. But it's crucial to remember that every viewpoint has its biases. Raghav might paint Gopal as the main antagonist in his story, while Gopal's perspective might only offer a partial truth. So, if we rank their perspectives by importance, it could be Raghav first, then Gopal, and finally, Aarti.