Not another “Student dies after exam failure” headline – Please
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A heart-breaking incident has come to light from Bengaluru, where a 14-year-old boy studying in 7th grade took his own life after writing a painful suicide note. The words he left behind were so raw, so piercing, they could break even the toughest of hearts. His parents, respected figures in society and artists by profession, are now left shattered, as are all of us. Despite such a background, how did this tragedy happen? Who should be held responsible? These questions hang heavy in the air, with no easy answers.
Let’s face it, something is seriously going wrong around us. And we aren’t talking about it enough.
In recent years, suicides, especially among children and young people have been increasing at an alarming rate. Many experts point to the growing economic crisis in the country as a major contributing factor. Add to that rising unemployment, financial insecurity, work pressure, and overuse of mobile phones all of which are making people, particularly the youth, feel trapped and hopeless. Depression, which is still largely misunderstood and untreated, is slowly suffocating an entire generation.
But here’s the real question: why are tender children, who haven’t even begun to experience life, deciding to end theirs?
What kind of pressure is weighing on their little hearts? If we, as a society, continue to ignore these questions, then we must question our humanity itself.
According to the Government of India’s data, more than 35 children die by suicide every single day. In 2020 alone, 12,521 children died by suicide. In 2021, the number rose beyond 13,000. And in most of these cases, the cause was said to be exam failure. Every year, as SSLC and PUC exams approach, students begin to feel intense anxiety and stress. The expectations on them from schools, parents, and society become too much to bear. We’ve seen these headlines again and again: Student dies by suicide after failing exam. And each time, the system quietly closes the file and moves on. But who is really at fault?
Why should a failed exam cost a child their life? How much responsibility lies with the school system, the parents, and the society that constantly pressures them? Why is there no serious discussion on this?
If a child dies because of the pressure of exams, the school management and the parents must be held accountable. It’s time society changed its attitude towards students, both those who succeed and those who struggle. A failed student is not a failed human being. They don’t deserve to be ignored, judged, or humiliated. They need support, not shame. They need hope, not hopelessness.
Let’s not forget, our current education system is almost entirely exam-centric. Add to that the attitude of some parents who treat marks as a matter of life and death. That combination can be fatal. Children are being taught that their worth is tied only to numbers on a mark sheet. This is not education. This is pressure-cooking young minds.
Then there’s the issue of mobile phones. In many homes, toddlers are being handed phones to keep them busy. This habit grows and takes over their minds. Children today are spending hours online, exposed to violent content, self-harm videos, or dark thoughts that they cannot process. Without proper supervision or awareness, their emotional well-being is left to the mercy of the internet. Some even fall into the trap of cyberbullying, online blackmail, or threats. Out of fear, many children don’t tell their parents. They try to handle it alone and sometimes, that burden is too heavy.
Easy access to narcotic substances is also becoming a concern, especially among school and college students. It may begin out of curiosity or peer pressure but can quickly spiral into dangerous territory.
Earlier, family time used to be a space for emotional connection. Today, in many households, both parents are busy with jobs, and the child is left alone. Even in nuclear families, friction and fights between parents leave emotional wounds on children. Parents may not realise it, but children absorb everything, the tension, the arguments, the lack of love.
So, let’s be very clear. Saying “what stress do kids even have?” is not only ignorant, it is dangerous. Children do feel stress. It may not look like adult stress, but it is real. Parents need to spend time with their children. Not just to instruct or discipline them, but to listen, to understand, to connect. What children need more than anything else is affection, patience, and a sense of safety.
They must know that even if they make mistakes, they can come to their parents. That they won’t be scolded, but heard. That their emotions won’t be dismissed as silly. What may seem small or trivial to an adult could feel like a mountain to a child.
If a child brings up issues of bullying in school or misbehaviour by teachers, take them seriously. Parents should make it a point to stay in touch with teachers, attend school meetings, and monitor the environment their child is in. Every child has something special within them. It’s the duty of the parents to help them find it, not force their own dreams on them. A parent must be the child’s biggest support, not their biggest fear.
A child’s mind is like glass, that is fragile, clear, and beautiful. If stones are being thrown from all sides, parents must become the wall that shields it. Not the stones that break it.
There is no single solution to prevent child suicide, but one thing is certain that the role of parents, schools, and society cannot be ignored. Children need more than marks and medals. They need to be heard, understood, and loved without conditions. Parents must be present, schools must be sensitive, and society must stop glorifying success at the cost of a child’s peace of mind. We need to talk, listen, and care, not after tragedy strikes, but before. Because we cannot afford to wake up one more morning to see yet another cold, lifeless line in the news “Student dies after exam failure.” Not another headline like that - please.
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4 children test HIV positive in MP govt hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.
The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.
Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.
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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.
“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.
"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.
All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.
A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.
After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.
After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.
The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.
Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.
"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.
"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.
