Colonel Rajeev Bharwan, or “Mumma Sir” as many of his students call him, has spent decades in uniform. He’s seen discipline in its rawest form. Pressure. Fear. Loss. Survival. So when he talks about Gen Z, he’s not doing it from a sofa with a mic. He’s speaking from a life lived hard and honest.And his take on Gen Z? It’s not what most people expect.“When the world is busy finding faults in Gen Z, I deal with them,” he says. “I don’t see a lost generation. I see life. I see value. They don’t need lectures. They need alignment.”That word keeps coming up when he talks about young people. Alignment.
They don’t lack talent!
According to him, Gen Z doesn’t lack talent or fire. They lack direction. The compass is there. The needle just keeps spinning.People call them lazy. He doesn’t buy that for a second.“They’re not lazy,” he says. “They’re allergic to meaningless life.”And honestly, that hits.This generation doesn’t want to wake up, grind for something that feels hollow, and sleepwalk through years of their life. They want purpose. They want to matter. The problem? Nobody is really helping them find that purpose. So they drift. They scroll. They burn out early.“They want to fix the world. Redesign it,” he says. “And they can. They are amazing people. But bus apne tareeke theek karo.”
He doesn’t romanticise them either. He calls them out where it hurts.Gen Z wants to be fit. But they think fitness is just protein shakes and gym selfies.He tells them it’s not about one hour in the gym. It’s about the other 23 hours.What you eat.What you scroll.What you think.What you allow into your head.Then he drops the line that stays with you:“You subscribe to the whole world. Influencers, creators, strangers. But you’ve unsubscribed from yourself.”That’s the real problem, he feels.They check everyone else’s life.But don’t check in on their own.They track other people’s growth.But don’t sit with their own mess.
Parents are no less
And parents? He doesn’t let them off the hook either.“I tell parents – kids learn from the life around them. From what you do. Not what you preach.”So if a child is lost, distracted, constantly anxious, the environment has something to answer for too. Homes. Schools. The constant pressure to “be something” without ever asking who you actually are.People say Gen Z is confused.He says they’re conscious.That’s a big difference.They question everything. They don’t worship blindly. They ask why. And yes, sometimes that makes older generations uncomfortable. But that questioning is strength, not disrespect. It means they’re thinking. It means they’re awake.What he genuinely admires about them is their honesty.They talk about mental health.They admit when they’re struggling.They don’t pretend to be okay just to look strong.
Quick learners
And digitally? They’re sharp. Fast learners. Adaptable. They pick up skills in weeks that used to take people years.But raw power without direction can self-destruct.“Gen Z is strong,” he says. “Very strong. But strength without discipline and values becomes chaos.”That’s where mentorship comes in.Not lectures.Not shouting.But guidance.Someone to walk with them, not stand above them.
Need alignment
He believes most Gen Z kids don’t need to be fixed.They need to be aligned.With purpose.With discipline.With values.With themselves.Because when that alignment happens?“They won’t just survive,” he says.“They’ll redesign the world.”And honestly, maybe that’s what scares people the most.