Post JEE Deaths: Suicide or Murder?

In a heart-wrenching incident, an 18-year-old Class 12 student ended her life, leaving behind a note filled with regret and sorrow. "Sorry, mummy and papa. Please forgive me. I couldn't make it. Our journey together ends here. Don't cry. You both gave me immense love. I couldn't fulfil your dreams," she wrote, echoing the immense burden that many students in India carry on their shoulders.

The teenager had just returned to her hostel after visiting home. On the morning of the tragedy, she spoke to her father, got her mobile phone recharged, and requested him not to disclose her exam results. Her father, in an attempt to console her, assured her of another chance, but that is the last thing a student in this situation needs. The fear of a second failure overwhelms the relief of an second attempt, as doubts begin sprouting in the mind. Locked in her hostel room for a prolonged period, her fellow students grew concerned and alerted the warden. The authorities, upon breaking open the door, discovered her lifeless body hanging from a noose made of a white scarf.

This incident is not an isolated one. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), student suicides in India have been alarmingly high. In 2022 alone, 13,089 students took their own lives, averaging over 35 suicides per day. A significant contributing factor is the acute shortage of college seats, especially in sought-after fields like engineering, medicine, and computer science. Despite producing millions of bright students each year, India’s higher education infrastructure fails to accommodate their aspirations, leading to cutthroat competition and immense pressure.

The Life of a Student Post 10th Grade

The main issue regarding the current situation lies in the blind rat race that the students are shoved into the moment the pass the 10th Grade. A narrative that Sciences are superior to Arts or Humanities restrict the students from exploring all the career choices. Then, as under the peer pressure or mob mentality the students fill in the forms for JEE, their parents are advised by some neighbor to put their kids in "Dummy" colleges, where attendance isn't required and marks are distributed for just showing up. This results in them spending all their time in coaching centers, being lonely, and making JEE their entire life for two concurrent years, when they should also be socializing at the foundational age of 16-18, the age that defines a person's future personality. Then, the failure to acquire their desired score after leading life in such a manner is equivalent to pulling the Earth from under their feet, resulting in severe depression that many a times leads up to suicidal tendencies.

The Crisis of College Admissions

One of the biggest flaws in India’s education system is the rigid admission process, where even students aspiring for specialized fields like Computer Science are forced to study and excel in unrelated subjects such as Chemistry. This outdated evaluation system makes it difficult for students to focus on their true passions and forces them to juggle subjects that may have no relevance to their chosen career path.

The competition is further worsened by the limited number of seats in prestigious institutions. For instance, in 2023, over 1.2 million students appeared for the JEE exam, but only around 16,000 IIT seats were available. Similarly, NEET saw nearly 2 million aspirants competing for less than 100,000 MBBS seats, making rejection the norm rather than the exception.

The Need for Educational Reform

1. Increase in College Seats: The government must work on expanding infrastructure, establishing new institutions, and increasing the intake capacity of existing universities.

2. Relevant Subject Selection: The curriculum should be restructured to allow students to focus on subjects directly related to their field of study.

3. Alternative Admission Criteria: Instead of relying solely on entrance exams, a multi-faceted evaluation system should be introduced, considering skills, projects, and extracurricular performance. Countries like Finland have successfully implemented such systems, focusing on holistic learning rather than rote memorization. Their education model evaluates students based on problem-solving skills, innovation, and real-world applications, providing a more balanced and stress-free approach to academic success.

4. Mental Health Support: Institutions should provide counseling and mentorship to help students cope with academic stress and unrealistic expectations.

5. Industry-Academia Collaboration: More practical and skill-based training should be integrated into the education system to reduce the need for irrelevant academic hurdles.

The tragic loss of an 18-year-old girl is a wake-up call for society. No student should feel compelled to take such an extreme step due to shortcomings in an exam. By reforming the system, we can create an environment where students are judged based on their actual interests and capabilities.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, Talkitout is here to help. Click here to reach out and book a call.