Society
The Suicide Splurge Among Students
The frequent suicides at a prestigious educational institution like IIT-M and the news reports on the suicides by the younger generation of Indian population are surely matter of concern. Even if we dismiss the common men’s attempts on self destruction as mental aberrations, failed love affairs and extreme anger, the shocking decisions of the students who are considered to be the crème of knowledge and expected to be the best future citizens of the nation.
There are many reasons for that. No other country in this world attaches as much significance to academic excellence as it is given in India. Most of the time, such craze is shockingly surprising and intellectually irritating. The simple and blunt logic behind this ‘academic’ excellence is to go abroad, earn and buy properties in India and finally settle in the foreign land. Additionally, in India the way we attach disparity between jobs and qualifications are all the more senseless.
The presumably elite middle class invariably drive their children to ‘study’ and not get ‘educated’ to secure a seat in the prestigious IIT or engineering or medical college. But, today, the engineering and medical seats are simply available for a price; so are the degrees offered by them. The next ultimate is the job in the IT field and flying to the USA. Pray, how many of the bright IITians are in India and serve the country? In my long service in the field of research, science and academics, I found many of the IIT products are cranky, unproductive, arrogant and unpredictable.
This has become the common phenomena in this country. But, after entering into the lucrative IT field, the mighty only get the maximum and not the brilliant. I have come across a lot of first rankers and gold medalists work on equal positions with their classmates or even juniors who were well below in academics. This, yet,, is the ultimate dream of the middle class and the elite.
The rich never cares for any of these academics. They know that anything they want can be purchased in India for a price and foreign jaunts for them are only for fun. But, the main reason for such students’ suicides can only on the parents first and the society next. The parents, today, do not care much for the ability or interest of their wards. They are brainwashed from the childhood to get IIT seat or engineering degree and go abroad. Preference is given to the money earned and not for the person or his personality.
True, life is a complex affair in any part of the world. However, in India, we make it more complex with our philosophy on one side and greed on the other side; ultimately, the greed side only wins in the end. Children are status symbol; education is another; intelligence refers only to academics. A person is valued for his earnings and qualifications. None care about the 'potential', 'ability' or 'interest' of their children.
A metamorphosis is needed; that can only take place through the wish of the God, the Indians believe.
06-Feb-2014
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G Swaminathan
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