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The role of a teacher in educating masses is both significant and profound. His influence on a student is far-reaching as today’s student will be carrying this influence far and wide to all he comes across in the years to come. Therefore, the title, the Role of Teachers in the New Emerging World, bears two most important components worth discussing: 1-the new emerging world; and 2-the role of teachers.

When we talk about the new emerging world, it generally denotes the developing world order of today –the dimensions or new heights of progress in various walks of life. It also categorically reveals the state of a new world order in which people around the world have come closer to one-another due to the advancement of tools and increased virtual communication one after the other in the field of science, technology, communication and engineering (especially like System Metabolic Engineering in current perspective). Now the distance of miles does not matter much more than as shown on a map.

It is the result of the new emerging state that the world is rapidly converting into a global village. The old Vedic-Hindu dictum of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam now seems to be transforming into reality. It is, undoubtedly, a state of pleasure. It makes people realize the reality that the whole world is, in fact, one grand house; all inhabitants of the Earth are the members of one large family.           

This changing global order has proved to humanity that there are huge possibilities of unification and mutual growth in the world. Through collective efforts –co-operation, collaboration and co-ordination of fellow beings and connecting socio-cultural fields with science, technology, communication and engineering unprecedented progress is possible. This coherent connectivity can play the most vital role in realizing the long-cherished dream of global unity.

Language diversity is not an obstruction now. There is no problem of working together –in collaborating for common cause among people of different parts of the world speaking their own languages or sharing achievement with one-another. All can make collective endeavours for the welfare of one and all in the world. The manner, in which the new emerging world has opened new windows for the aspirants in various branches of science, technology, communication and engineering, has been instrumental in the increased co-operation, coordination and collaboration that is, indeed, a matter of relief after a long period of hostility and narrow-mindedness, and it should be welcomed.

The new emerging world –newly developing global order has, undoubtedly, brought many unprecedented, productive and constructive results. And, I repeat, they all should be applauded and celebrated. But, along with this, let us not ignore the other side of the new emerging world that is smeared with worries, anxieties and apprehensions of the highest degree.   

Despite unprecedented development at the global level –converting the Earth rapidly into a global village, the ditch between rich and poor has widened. The Oxfam’s figures, which have gone viral, reveal that the richest one percent have more wealth than the rest of the world’s population combined. Further, it is also notable that today more than seventy percent of the world’s population holds only three percent of global wealth. More than one billion people are living in extreme poverty all over the world. This is the worst state of inequality the world has ever had. It clearly indicates that the new emerging world is not all welfaristic and still there is a failure in achieving appropriate development. The process of globalization is not congenial to the welfare of all, but addresses only some aspects ignoring the rest.

In the new emerging world –in the name of development, natural resources are being dreadfully over-consumed and exploited, basic character of Nature is being impaired, Earth’s surface is being disfigured and environment is being polluted continuously resulting in putting a question mark on existence of life on the Earth. The scarcity of pure air and water is increasing day-by-day, casting a direct impact on human health and an indirect one on all other species making them extinct. We are continuously coming under the grip of new and fatal diseases.

On the strength of unprecedented advancement in science and technology the nations of the world are in competition of manufacturing destructive arms one after the other. Along with nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, long range excessive fatal missiles even equipped with nuclear weapons are manufactured in huge numbers. The whole world is within the range of these missiles.  More than fifteen thousand nuclear weapons are in possession of the nation’s nuclear capabilities. The worldwide annual military spending, according to a report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute of the year 2015, was more than 1500 billion US$. It has surpassed this figure hugely in the ensuing years. This state is leading the world towards the mass destruction –the end of life on this planet.

In the new emerging world many other side-effects can also be noticed by all of us. Without going into details of such side-effects it will be enough to mention here that in the ongoing process of development the situation is becoming alarming day-by-day. This state, can be repeated, fills with anxieties those who are with constructive approach and think about humanity.

But, not losing hope people around the world can get rid of anxieties –the ongoing process of development can prove to be welfaristic to each and everyone on the Earth, and the community of teachers can play a vital role in this regard. If teachers in consonance with their sole responsibility towards humanity come forward to make the development people-friendly –for the cause of large-scale welfare of citizens in the new emerging world, the face of development can, undoubtedly, be changed to abundance and absolutism. In this direction, sincere and conscious efforts are expected from the community of teachers, in accordance with the basic spirit of their holy profession.

There is no need of redefining the role of teachers in the making of societies and the nations or what is expected from them for the wellbeing of humanity in the changing scenario of the world. Their role in the building of societies and the nations, and leading humanity to a better tomorrow founded upon equality, peace and compassion not only for each other, but for all the elements of the universe is all-time. It is the foremost responsibility of teachers that they develop the spirit of duty-bound morality in students. For this, they need themselves to be duty-bound. This is itself the acid test of their noble profession.    

The main cause of increasing side effects, which we are witnessing as serious challenges in the constantly ongoing process of development or in the new emerging world, is due to the indifference of man towards his duties unto humanity. It is due to man’s overlooking of the universal law and values he himself is bound thereof. And, the reason for man’s indifference towards his duties or his negligence of the universal law and ethics, and values can be found in his not getting appropriate or true education according to its basic spirit. The basic spirit of education expects a teacher to develop virtues of his student he already possesses within and prepare him as a duty-bound –responsible and ideal citizen on the basis of them. 

The community of teachers needs self-introspection. It is the time that teachers realize the power and strength of their noble profession. Are they really conscious and serious to the sanctity of their role? They must ask themselves. I will not say anything further in this regard. I will urge the community of teachers to exercise their powers in producing healthy, peaceful and happy societies by sending forth moral and duty-bound citizens. If they do so, the new emerging world, and the ongoing process of development will definitely prove to be welfaristic to all on this planet. In this welfare, the lost respect and trust for the community of teachers can also be regained.