The word discipline has been taken from the Latin word ‘Discipulus’ which means ‘to learn‘. This means to achieve the objectives and goals of life, an individual curtails his or her freedom and liberty.

In other words, we can say that

• Discipline is a process of education.
  
• It tells an individual what to do and not to do.
  
• With the help of discipline, an individual knows what is morally good or bad.
  
• It teaches an individual to obey the rules and regulations.
  
• It develops in people qualities like self-control, sympathy, patience, and right conduct.

Features of Discipline:

1. It is developed automatically in the students and not forced upon them outside. It is free from all types of restrictions. So we can say that discipline is child-centered.
   
2. Discipline is against punishment as it works for a short period of time.
   
3. It is based on democratic principles, as it promotes humanitarianism, equality, self-control, and dignity for others.
   
4. It is constructive as it develops various values in people like trust, loyalty, punctuality, accountability, responsibility, and sympathy.
   
5. Discipline is a long-term concept that develops gradually.

Effects of Indiscipline:

Examination Malpractices:

Because of the indiscipline, examination malpractices are taking place. Students exchange the answer sheets with each other during examinations and copy from other students. These are some examples of examination malpractice.

Truancy:

Indiscipline leads to truancy. It means avoiding school or being absent from school without permission. There can be various reasons for truancy, such as partial behavior from the teacher, bullying in the school, etc.

Drug Usage:

The children start to consume drugs and alcohol, and they create disturbance in society.

Property Damage:

Sometimes students break public property such as libraries, transportation means, government buildings, windows and tables of schools, etc., which is considered a serious crime.

Sexual Assault:

Adolescent students who lack discipline and self-control commit sexual crimes like rape and prostitution.

Causes of Indiscipline:

Adolescent Age:

Adolescent age is the period of age when children want to do anything, whether it is morally good or bad. As a result, they indulge in activities that lead to indiscipline.

Inferiority Complex:

Sometimes the students who are intellectually weak consider themselves inferior in front of the intelligent students. So they create disturbances in the class.

Less Extracurricular Activities:

The extracurricular activities include sports, dance, quiz debates, and music competitions. These activities develop students physically, emotionally, and mentally. We all know that in most schools, these activities are conducted for the sake of formality.

Overcrowded Classes:

The appropriate number of students in a class is 30. But most of the classes are overcrowded. There is less contact between the teacher and the students. So the backbenchers create indiscipline in the class.

Ineffective Education System:

It is the primary duty of the school to develop discipline and moral values among the students. But nowadays, the schools just focus on rote learning. They want students to get the highest marks, no matter how. The schools fail to provide an environment suitable for education and so create indiscipline.

Privatization:

Education has become a business in this modern era. The only motive of the schools and universities is to earn more and more profit. They don’t focus on providing moral values to the students.

Politicization of Educational Institutions

Another cause of Indiscipline in students is the politicalization of educational institutions. The teachers are appointed on the basis of political relations, not on the basis of their merit and qualifications. Also, the leaders misuse the students for their own benefits, and they indulge in corrupt means, which leads to indiscipline among the students.

Effect of Media and Press:

Media promotes vulgar and violent activities among the youth, which in turn causes indiscipline in the students.

Home-related causes:

The weak economic condition develops bad habits in children such as stealing, abusing, lying, gambling, etc. Sometimes their parents mistreat them. They don’t have time to teach their children moral values.

Competition:

When students fail to achieve their goal among the competitors, they become frustrated. As a result, they indulge in indiscipline.

Techniques to solve Indiscipline

1. Role of Educational Institutions:

• There should be proper infrastructure for education, such as tables, drinking water, and a playground.
• The school should conduct annual functions regularly in which they should appreciate the achievements of students by giving them awards and scholarships. 
• The extracurricular activities should be organized so that these students feel physically and mentally fresh and can focus on their studies in a better way. 
• Parent-teacher meetings should be organized regularly so that the parent knows about the academic status of their child.
• There should be counseling for students from time to time so that they can improve their misconduct.

2. Role of Teachers:

• The teacher should develop a close relationship with the students so that they can share their problems with the teacher without any hesitation.
• He or she should know all the students’ names. It is the responsibility of the teacher to maintain proper seating arrangements in the classroom.
• Students should be engaged in the discussion. By injecting humor into the lecture, the teacher can soothe the tense environment of the class.
• Rewards such as cookies, candy, and chocolate should be given to the students to motivate them to stop the inappropriate misbehavior in class.
• Sometimes the teacher can give punishment to the students. One of the most important punishments in India is corporal punishment, which includes beating the students with sticks. In this way, the teacher can create discipline in the class.

3. No Politicization of Education:

There should be no political interference in the schools and universities.

4. Social-Economic Conditions:

Socio-economic conditions should be improved in the country. So that, after completing education, employment opportunities should be given to the youth. If they remain unemployed, then there are high chances that they can indulge in anti-social activity. AS Patel, in his book Poverty Progress and Development, said poverty is the cause of indiscipline among the youth. There should be curtailments on corruption. Children see corruption everywhere in the real world. As a result, they also indulge in corrupt activities.

In short, discipline is the foundation for the success of students. So the educational institution should focus on providing discipline to the students at an early age.