Suicide serves as an important indicator of Mental, Social and Economic wellbeing of a society. Competitive examinations, often glorified as a definitive route towards an ideal life pursued by millions of youngsters across the Nation. But! Is this relentless chase for academic excellence truly a gateway of achieving the charm of a happy and successful life? Well, the answer remains dubious. Due to the continuous surge in the suicide cases across the country majorly comprising of youth cases the doubt has somewhere grasped it roots in the minds of many whether this chase is making or taking the lives of youngsters. While Competitive examinations may offer a path towards a successful life but they are by no means the only way to lead a meaningful and proficient life. God has gifted us human beings with a life and we have authority to mess up our lives just for being praised by the society. While it is important to achieve the goals one aspires for but not by keeping one’s life as a guarantor.
Why Our Society Is So Deeply Obsessed With Competitive Exams? There can be many reasons behind this widespread obsession but I will try to state some specific reasons. The begin with one of the primary reasons is the desire for power and prestige. We live in a society where everything is measured in the units of power, money and prestige, this has pushed many individuals to chase these high-profile jobs which requires qualifying theses examinations. Another key reason is the craving to gain the social recognition and the need to be recognized and praised in the society. People seek appreciation and want their achievements to be seen by many in the society, this can be evaluated as one of the most important reasons which has led to the obsession with competitive examinations. Parents, too, often force their children to compete with others- especially peers or relatives by pushing them, beyond their capabilities. Last but not the least, the influence of social media cannot be ignored. Most of the platforms are flooded with content about NEET.UPSC, and IIT’s which can sometime inspire but also adds to stress. Social media can be helpful and pressure relieving sometimes but at the same time it has become a threat to the mental wellbeing of the people particularly the students.
Why This Obsession Has Become A Life-Or-Death Struggle: As I stated earlier that this relentless chase towards the competitive examinations should be a part of life not the whole life. However, this rising obsession with such examination has become a nightmare for numerous students across the country. Over the past 5 years nearly 60000 students have taken their lives in India with Academic Pressure, Failure in Examinations and Coaching Center Stress being the major contributing factors.
“Parents should encourage kids to pursue their own talents and not force them to follow others. Listen to children, guide them wisely towards success without excessive exam pressure.”
From 2018 till 2023 as reported by the National Media almost 80 students below the age of 18 years haven taken their lives in Kota Rajasthan. Most of these are below 18 yrs of age far from their families alone in coaching centers where they are expected to manage everything on their own. This becomes extremely difficult given their lack of emotional maturity at that age. According to a media report almost 7 hrs. are the minimum study hours for the students in coaching centers. On top of expectations, they have to deal with the family and societal pressure which further contributes to their stress levels. A commonly heard phrase that “Log Kya Kahengeiskebacche ne ek exam tak qualify nhikiya” [What will people say if their child fails to qualify a single exam] amplifies this burden. This has led to the severs pressure in the minds of students to somehow qualify the examination when the student is unable to get the examinational cracked the struggle than turns fatal and many students take their life.
A Call Upon The Society And Family: I would like to share my own insights in this column regarding this growing obsession and what as a member of society we should do. I would like to call upon the parents that don’t make your kids to do what they neither want not like to do. God has made us humans and we are not supposed to become pressure cookers even a pressure cooker has a whistle that signifies the pressure he holds and relieves that. Each and every kid is vested with some basic talents, so a parent should not force their kids to do what others are doing. Each and every parent should let their kids chase what they feel proficient for them because it’s the kids who have to live the life not the parents. Parents should start counseling sessions with their children’s and listen to their thoughts and wishes and then they should be guided towards a prosperous path. There are ample numbers of ways to achieve the goals of an ideal life without the competitive examinations. After the entire career is not more important than the life of children’s. I want to clarify one thing that I am in no way against the competitive examinations but I am against the excessive obsession with these exams and taking these exams as the only path towards a bright a prosperous future
(The author a student at Law Department Kashmir University, Srinagar is a freelancer. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Syed Adnan Hashmi
