Abstract

From Dharma to Development: Youth Empowerment through Indian Philosophical Principles in Education and Entrepreneurship

Dr. P. Sudhakar

Volume: 15 Special Issue: 5 2025

Abstract:

The paper discusses how Indian philosophical ideas can be incorporated into the modern youth empowerment approaches in education and entrepreneurship. When the world is confronted by a lack of youth employment that has never been witnessed before and the necessity to ensure comprehensive development, this paper suggests that archaic Indian wisdom can provide useful patterns of reasonable empowerment. Based on some ideas like dharma (righteous duty), karma yoga (yoga of action), svadhyaya (self-study), and the Purushartha model (four goals of life), the study shows how these philosophical foundations can be used to supplement the contemporary educational paradigms and entrepreneurial education. The paper discusses how dharma-oriented education can assist the youth to explore their inherent potential and mission, whereas principles of karma yoga can develop a good working ethic and social responsibility among young entrepreneurs. This research, by means of the thorough literature review and the analysis of the successful empowerment efforts that include the Indian philosophical principles, demonstrates that the given integration will result in more sustainable, ethically-based, and psychologically stronger youth development outcomes. The study recognizes the essential obstacles to the implementation of philosophy-based programs and empowerment and suggests a feasible guide to use by an educator, policymaker, and social entrepreneur. Results indicate that the Indian philosophical concepts, once suitably modified to fit modern situations, would tackle the shortcomings of the strictly Western-oriented developmental paradigms, focusing on the inner change and the acquisition of external skills. This is a comprehensive solution with great potential for delivering not only employable youth, but also conscious and purpose-driven leaders who can help society to grow sustainably.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.37648/ijrssh.v15i05.043

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