India’s pressure-cooker education system

Published : Sep 21, 2023 11:00 IST - 18 MINS READ In India, which has set its sights on the moon, aspirations can reach astral heights. Arun Kumar, a noted economist and retired professor, told Frontline: “As a top government functionary, the Vice President is duty-bound to defend government policies while ignoring the negativity present in the current situation, like extreme income inequality and inadequate government priority to education, including in budgetary allocations.” The string of student suicides in Kota, said Kumar, represents a combination of three factors: unemployment among educated youths, lack of quality education, and shortage of good jobs. Since India’s unorganised sector is characterised by low income and extreme job insecurity, “it puts extreme pressure on students to do well in examinations in order to enter the organised sector”, said Kumar. According to Lijeesh Kumar, director and chief academic officer at the institute: “Students who get below 97 per cent don’t get admission in coaching centres. He ended up ranking 21 in Kerala in the NEET exam and is now a first-year student at JIPMER.” Echoing Gehlot, students in Kerala say the pressure comes more from parents than from coaching centres.