Families share stories of children who died by suicide following intense pressure from India's competitive exam system and recent testing scandals.

Following the resignation of India's education minister in late July, families of students who died by suicide have spoken about the toll of the country's high-pressure examination system. Mass protests led by the Cockroach Janta party followed repeated exam cancellations and question paper leaks. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows student suicides rose from 8,068 in 2014 to 14,488 in 2024, with exam failure cited as a leading cause.

Impact of Exam Cancellations

Families described the emotional devastation caused by exam mismanagement. Anshika Pandey, a student in Delhi, died by suicide in May after learning that her medical entrance exam had been leaked for the second consecutive year, forcing a resit. Similarly, Pradeep Kumar Mahich, who had spent years preparing for the same exam, died by suicide in May after the announcement of a paper leak and resit, despite his family having sold land and taken loans to fund his education.

Systemic Pressures and Inequality

The pressure extends to engineering students as well. Sufi Shaheen, who was preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (Jee), died by suicide in 2024 after struggling with syllabus changes and the stress of her second attempt. The issue of educational equity is also highlighted by the case of S Anitha, a student from Tamil Nadu who died by suicide in 2017 after failing to meet the Neet exam cut-off, which her family argued disadvantaged students from different state-level education systems.