Suicidal course

A final-year student of IIT-Ropar died a week after his poor grades — apparently linked to his inadequate language skills — drove him to take poison. In his suicide note, Marymesi Arun apologised to his parents for failing to meet their expectations. This is another tragic case of a young life snuffed out by distress and unbearable pressure. It seems that there is no respite for students even after they enter the portals of India’s premier educational institutions. They have to compete ruthlessly and prove themselves all the time. Sadly, their academic journey has been reduced to a Darwinian struggle for survival. And those who are not among the fittest and the strongest simply drop out of the race, or even worse, choose to end their lives.

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The Supreme Court rightly observed earlier this week that relentless pressure to perform in a score-based education system and the extreme competition for limited seats in leading institutions were putting a ‘terrifying burden’ on students. It has set up a National Task Force to address their mental health concerns and prevent suicides. The initiative is laudable, but its success will depend largely on whether the key stakeholders — universities, colleges, coaching centres, parents — are willing to introspect and do course correction. It is their obsession with results and achievements that is pushing young people deeper into the mire.

The lack of institutional and parental accountability has created a deplorable situation — both sides keep blaming each other for youngsters’ woes. It’s undoubtedly a collective failure and there is no room for passing the buck. The focus has to be on detecting early signs of stress and taking timely remedial action. The wellbeing of students must take precedence over everything else. A nation that aspires to become Viksit (developed) by 2047 must set itself an immediate goal: safeguarding the welfare and lives of every student. After all, at stake is India’s future.