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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Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
