Jugaad Mentality: Opportunity or Threat to India?

Jugaad has kept us all going, no matter how hard we try to avoid it. Our issue solver at the last minute. In the most trying of circumstances, our rescuer. At the eleventh hour, a warrior takes on time. Jugaad is a term used to describe a creative solution to a problem. The core of jugaad—necessity is the mother of invention—should be celebrated by all Indians.

Foreigners call them hackers, which is OK. However, some people regard the Indian jugaad as a source of humiliation. Although the name ‘Jugaad' is sometimes associated with a negative connotation, no one can deny the efficiency, spontaneity, and creativity that we have developed as a result of this concept. The Mangalyaan is the pinnacle of jugaad that I can give you and that you may be proud of. We Indians focused our entire concentration on using the existing rocket and making JUGAADS send it to Mars while the Americans and British struggled to create a rocket strong enough to reach Mars.

So, while your curtains are being washed, cover your windows with bedsheets, tape up your charger cord so it can operate for a few more days, roll over the toothpaste bottle to get the last drops out, or adjust 5 persons on 1 bike (please don't do this) We Indians have always had active minds and a proclivity for coming up with novel concepts.

Change is something that we Indians despise. We can expand, but we want to take every asset we have with us on our ascension road. We aim to keep things simple. And it is because of this that the jugaad mindset is aroused in us. The combination of the notion of not letting go with creativity generates certain outcomes that may be enjoyed for a long time.

But it's important to realize that not every jugaad is welcome. For the sake of jugaad, one should never put one's own or others' lives in jeopardy. Jugaad emphasizes the need for innovation for productivity, efficiency, and, most importantly, the benefit of its immediate users, without putting anyone's life in jeopardy. Like the potentially fatal jugaads of skipping a doctor's appointment and treating oneself with self- or pharmacist-prescribed medications. Or they might be utilizing devices that have flaws, putting them at risk of sparking fires or other dangerous circumstances.

It's important to understand that jugaad means "to make something out of nothing." To get the best from trash while ensuring that none of its consumers are harmed. Also, keep in mind that some nonpareil assets cannot be replaced or extended via jugaads; they must be current. Please don't use a jugaad mindset there.

By: Samaira Sachdeva
Delhi Public School, Gautam Buddh Nagar