In recent days, I’ve been overwhelmed with sadness and discomfort as I’ve come across news stories of aspiring young engineers and doctors taking their own lives. These tragic incidents are a direct result of the immense pressure associated with competitive entrance exams for engineering and medical colleges.

The first heart-wrenching incident occurred on August 12th when a 19-year-old medical aspirant in Chennai tragically ended his life after failing to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) twice. Unable to bear the loss of his son, the father took his own life just two days later. In his final words, he pleaded not only for my attention but that of countless fathers out there. He implored us to see our children not merely as potential engineers or doctors but as our beloved sons and daughters.

This heartbreaking incident sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, where both ordinary citizens and politicians, including MK Stalin, expressed their anguish. Stalin criticized Governor RN Ravi for not granting assent to a bill aimed at banning NEET in Tamil Nadu. The bill had been presented in the Assembly twice by his government.

The most recent horrifying news came on August 28th when two aspiring students in Kota took their own lives after receiving low marks in an internal test at their coaching center. These coaching centers, which have turned into profit-making factories, instill in aspiring students the belief that they are unworthy if they don’t excel in Kota. These two tragic incidents have deeply saddened me and compelled me to address the future we are creating for our teenage generation.

I’ve personally experienced similar situations as teenager, where it seemed that failure in entrance exam was the end of the road. Nevertheless, I discovered the inspiration to understand that failing to secure a spot in a prestigious institution like IIT is not the conclusion of one’s journey. It marks the commencement of an exciting opportunity to join a REC government college and actively contribute to college growth after graduating, working in corporate sector, thereby contributing to India’s progress. This holds true for numerous individuals like me who embarked on a similar path two decades ago.

In light of these tragedies, I urge our government to reevaluate our entrance exam-driven education system. Almost 99% entrant to premium engineering and medical college are product of coaching centers. The government should Encourage them to be more than just job seekers who have followed coaching center instructions to pass an entrance exam. We should inspire our teenagers to aspire as entrepreneurs, embrace risks, and view failures as opportunities for growth on their journey to success.

Coaching centers need regulation, and more weightage should be given to 10th and 12th-grade exam scores, alongside entrance exam results, for admission to premium institutes. The government should work on revamping the education system in collaboration with the corporate sector to ensure that even students who do not graduate from premium institutes have access to good job opportunities.

As we look forward to the “New India” in the next 25 years, now is the ideal time to reinvent our education and entrance exam system. Every teenage student, irrespective of their access to coaching centers, should have a fair chance to contribute to and thrive in the new India we envision. At the same time:

parents should see their children not as mere engineers, doctors, civil servants, or government officials, but as their cherished sons and daughters with dreams of blossoming. They should provide guidance, create a nurturing environment, and allow these young birds to soar high above the sky. 

It’s a call for reform that can shape a brighter future for our youth.

#AskDushyant