Addressing a Real Challenge: Teaching Students About Accountability and Justice in the Cases of Mallya and Ambani

Teaching Students About Accountability and Justice in the Cases of Mallya and Ambani

We face a serious issue today. Business leaders like Vijay Mallya and Anil Ambani are using social media to claim they are victims, even though they owe huge sums of money and have hurt many people. Mallya owes ₹9,000 crore to Indian banks and lives comfortably in the UK, despite a 2018 court order to repay ₹18.1 million. Ambani reduced a ₹49,000 crore debt to just ₹455 crore, as reported by Hindustan Times on September 18, 2024, leaving workers and investors in distress. Their actions have led to unpaid wages and lost jobs, yet they avoid taking responsibility. Shouldn’t we question this?

This isn’t just a business problem—it’s a call to action for students to learn about fairness and truth. The Reserve Bank of India’s 2022 report shows that big debts often get easy settlements, favoring the wealthy. Teachers can use this to help students think critically and demand change. What can we do about this unfair system?

How Teachers Can Guide Students

1. Explore the Truth: Look at what Mallya and Ambani say on social media. Ask students to check facts using court records or news. Can they find the real story behind the excuses?
2. Discuss Fairness: Hold role-plays where students act as unpaid workers or decision-makers. Should Mallya return to face justice? Is Ambani’s small payment fair to everyone? How would you decide?
3. Understand Money Issues: Use the numbers—₹9,000 crore owed by Mallya, ₹49,000 crore reduced by Ambani. Let students suggest better rules to protect workers. How can we make the system work for all?
4. Feel the Impact: Share stories of affected workers or ask students to write as if they were unpaid. What would they say to these leaders? How does this affect real lives?
5. Connect to Other Subjects: Link this to history, stories, or math. Compare it to past unfairness or calculate the debt. What lessons can we learn from different areas?

Why This Matters

This is about building a better future. Dr. Aniruddha Malpani once asked, “Why is it so easy to fool Indians?” The answer starts with teaching students to question and act. By learning from Mallya and Ambani’s actions, we can raise young people who fight for justice and support workers. What kind of world do we want to create?

A Call to Action

Teachers, start this Monday! Use news, records, and discussions to inspire students. Follow updates on Mallya or Ambani—will they face consequences? Let students lead the way to a fairer society. This isn’t just about two individuals—it’s about power and how we can change it. Are we ready to take responsibility?

A Thought to Ponder

Isn’t this a perfect example of a live problem to solve? There’s so much to explore—politics that protects the rich, economics that fails the poor, technology that spreads lies, legal systems that weaken, environmental damage ignored, and societal trust broken. Shouldn’t we teach these lessons across all these areas to build a stronger tomorrow?