Death before exam

THE tragic deaths of three young students — two NEET aspirants in Kota, Rajasthan, and a forensic science student of a private university in Mohali, Punjab — within days of each other lay bare a systemic failure that India continues to ignore at its own peril. That one of the students died just before the NEET-UG exam underscores how relentless academic pressure, mental health neglect and unrealistic expectations have created a lethal mix for many. Kota, the coaching hub, has seen 14 student suicides this year alone. Despite repeated warnings, the structural stressors — high-stakes exams, toxic competition, unregulated coaching practices and the burden of ‘guaranteed success’ — remain unaddressed.

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Recently, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued notices to several coaching institutes for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. Many ads promised top ranks and assured selections without substantiating their claims. These promises, coupled with immense pressure, are often a trap for vulnerable students and anxious parents. The country’s toppers’ culture needs a hard reset. The Rajasthan government’s proposal for the Coaching Institutes (Control and Regulation) Bill is a step forward. Mandatory counselling and aptitude tests before enrolment may help, but enforcement is the key. The 2018 guidelines that aimed to provide psychological support and regulate private institutes seem to have been ignored into irrelevance. Without strict oversight, the new law too risks becoming symbolic.

Parents must also introspect. Forcing children into ill-suited streams or tying self-worth to marks and rankings breeds despair. The country must stop treating its students as rank-seekers and start recognising them as individuals with unique strengths and limits. The government must cultivate an ecosystem that generates enough jobs for the youth with varied streams of interest. No exam is worth a life.