Leadership, Learning, and Lessons from Mirzapur

 

Thinking about my present role often brings to my mind scenes from the Netflix series Mirzapur. One instance that resonates with me is when the Superintendent of Police gives his subordinate a clear directive—granting him a free hand to rid Mirzapur of the notorious mafia don, Kaleen Bhaiya. What resonated was a moment of trust to delegate someone with such autonomy to complete a task. I recall echoing this tone while leading my own team. I would often direct one of my trusted colleagues, empowering him with authority.

The question that comes to my mind often is how to outlive yourself. Everything we do in this world has an expiry date. But what makes us immortal is the way we do things. Probably kindness, manners and behaviour are some of the attributes which make us unforgettable to people. Even though we leave the places and people we lived once with but due to these qualities people always remember us. 

Recently I was invited to a wedding ceremony. I attended it with my friends. I met a few students there. They seemed disillusioned with the education system. Bluntly they told me that the whole education system is rotten. I was very Curious. I asked them why they were of such an opinion and why they felt that way. Their response was striking: “By the end of our schooling, we are not really able to do what we are expected to do.”


They believed that the emphasis in education should first and foremost be  on languages. According to them, unless one does not learn to read deeply, we cannot truly become thinkers. They also felt that we should try to hold on to as many languages as possible. But in practice this rarely happens. For them, languages and mathematics were enough—the real foundations of all learning.


One of my friends once asked me about the role of the head of an institute. “Is it simply to pester subordinates?” he said. My answer was that the role of a leader is quite the opposite. A true head of an institute works with his subordinates, making their work easier and more efficient, all while maintaining discipline. As they say, a real leader is someone who inspires others to achieve more.
I have realised that leadership demands clarity of vision and empowerment. Mirzapur which is known for its action has some important lessons in leadership and execution.
I remember watching the first episode during a snow-laden winter day—just one episode, I told myself. The characters and the suspence forced me to watch the next episode. The curiosity built masterfully by the directors compels the viewers to watch it till the end. In our present education system the missing link is the creativity.

 Being a part of the education system, i have witnessed a big mismatch between the evolution of education and the reality of economics involved.

On one hand, the narrative around India’s economic progress is celebrated. But on the other hand, the lived experiences of the lower-income class remain static. Their economic conditions—and even their concerns—are unfortunately unchanged over the years. I hear the same stories from clients today that I used to hear years ago. It’s disheartening.

Presently the education system is slowly changing from theory to experiential models but some instructions are still stuck in outdated syllabus. Yet many institutions still cling to outdated frameworks. The focus, unfortunately, remains on expanding physical infrastructure—buildings and land—while neglecting what truly matters: strengthening faculty, upgrading laboratories, and making education more experiential. The world’s top institutes, both in India and globally, succeeded not through buildings but through bold pedagogical choices and emphasis on skill development.

The rules are simple i. e adopt a practical approach, invest in faculty and give stress to quality. This needs to be followed in toto and with discipline.

Another pressing concern is the declining interest in core engineering branches. Students today are reluctant to choose streams like mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering—not because they lack potential, but because job opportunities in these fields are shrinking. In contrast, computer science continues to attract top talent, driven by high employability and lucrative salaries. 

 If we want to build better institutions, create more jobs, and uplift lives, we must be ready to challenge outdated systems and make hard decisions—not unlike the SP who decided to clean up Mirzapur.

Dr. Sajad Hussain Deen

Sajad_08phd12@nitsri.ac.in


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