Dr. Wasim Kakroo, a clinical psychologist, explains that the sensationalization of exam results exacerbates the problem, causing students with low self-confidence to suffer severe mental health consequences, sometimes even contemplating suicide. The National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) latest data reveals that in 2022, over 13,000 students died by suicide across India due to academic pressure, marking a sharp increase from previous years.
Maheen, a promising student, was pressured into attempting the NEET exam, despite her passion for the humanities. After multiple failed attempts, the silent treatment and comparisons from her family worsened her mental health, leading her to experience suicidal thoughts. Although she eventually convinced her family to let her pursue political science, the trauma from the earlier experience lingers.
Many students in Kashmir feel this pressure. Mehvish Malik, who attempted NEET voluntarily, faced judgment from her community despite support from her family. Similarly, Bareeq Rafiq, another student, expressed her anxiety about competing against thousands for a limited number of seats, a reality that heightens the stress.
Experts like Er. Taniya Noor, a mentor for non-medical students, suggest that competitive exams are challenging not because of the syllabus but because of the intense competition. The limited number of seats creates an environment of relentless pressure, contributing to the emotional and psychological toll on students.
The reservations in these exams are also a point of contention. While some argue that the system unfairly favors students from reserved categories, others, like Maheen, suggest that financial background should be the basis for reservations rather than community identity.
Dr. Kakroo emphasizes that the solution lies in fostering emotional int. Dr. Wasim Kakroo, a clinical psychologist, warns that this pressure leads to serious mental health issues, especially for students with low self-esteem. “When results of these exams are sensationalized, students with poor self-confidence are unable to handle it, which sometimes becomes disastrous,” he explains.
As the per the data available in internet we are seeing that 1300 people will suicide in 2022 it is not an easy task to do..But competition is everywhere all over the world if we think that competition ends it never happens we need to think different we need to take important steps and steps towards our success... “I developed suicidal thoughts and stopped communicating with my family,” she added.
This pressure is not limited to those pushed into fields they dislike. Mehvish Malik, a student who voluntarily chose NEET, faced intense societal judgment after failing. “People in Kashmir believe everyone should become a doctor or engineer, and that qualifying is a matter of life and death,” she said.
The problem extends beyond individual failures, according to Er. Taniya Noor, who mentors students in non-medical fields. “The competitive exams are difficult not because of the syllabus, but because of the ratio of students competing,” she explained. The limited seats increase the pressure on students, who are expected to be perfect.
Competition is everywhere Because of competition people can suffer alot as we are seeing this all over the world and we need to take this serious and need to fallow to take important steps to do smart work to get success.. Those who are taking smart action can getting easily success we need to do also..... Because of we also need to think that competition never ends... We people have to do some thing different those who are taking getting easily success...
Only those who are financially weak deserve it,” she said.
Dr. Kakroo believes that fostering emotional intelligence from a young age could alleviate these pressures. “Life is more than just passing an exam. Students must work on handling emotions, otherwise even qualifying can become overwhelming for them,” he stressed. Competition is all over the world we need to take important steps and smart work to deal this competition now those people who use smart work can achieve success easily as we all know that smart work is important in every step of life but we need to stay positive in every step of life...
