IN A COUNTRY that dreams of becoming a Vishwaguru, it is both ironic and tragic that we remain incapable of conducting a single competitive examination without controversy or delay. The recently announced retest for the Staff Selection Commission’s (SSC) Selection Post Phase 13 examination is not a testament to reform, but a desperate attempt to calm down the angry and frustrated students.
This is not merely about one exam or one commission. It is about the deep, structural rot in how recruitment and competitive examinations are conducted across India. What should be a straightforward, merit-based process has become a nightmare for millions. For students, every exam notification now comes with a side of anxiety: Will the exam even take place? Will there be another paper leak?
Aspirants who have dedicated years of their youth to find that the real struggle doesn’t end with studying, it rather begins when they are forced to prove their capability to an incapable system.
ALSO READ: From Guests to Occupiers–II: A Forensic Examination of Kuki Expansionism in Northeast India
While India proudly leads the global digital revolution, exporting UPI to other countries, back home, our exam centres can’t even provide a working computer or a functional mouse. On one hand, the country showcases its soft power by leading global humanitarian missions in the name of dignity and compassion; on the other, our own students are sent to remote exam centres with no toilets, no drinking water, and certainly no dignity.
And believe me, these are not isolated lapses- this is the norm in “VikisitBharat.”
The situation is even worse when it comes to state level exams. From Uttar Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh, from Bihar to Rajasthan- the story is the same. Exams are delayed for months, abruptly cancelled due to paper leaks and in case the appointments take place court interventions often nullify appointments citing procedural irregularities.
It’s a never-ending cycle. Year after year, the same headlines, the same public outrage. A few articles written, angry tweets posted and protests held at Jantar Mantar. Then comes a committee followed by a couple of token suspensions. And soon after— silence. The loop resets. Corruption thrives. No clean-up. No reform. No accountability.
Who pays the price? The student. It’s always the student. Who answers for their pain, their shattered confidence? Who apologises to the parents who sold land or took loans for coaching fees, only to watch their children sink into despair?
No one.
And that’s the real tragedy.
This consistent institutional failure has caused more than just academic inconvenience- it has triggered a full-blown mental health crisis. Each cancellation, each leak, each delay is not just a missed opportunity; it is a blow to the morale and mental stability of an entire generation. These aspirants have sacrificed jobs, social lives, and years of earnings in pursuit of a dignified livelihood. What they get in return is anxiety, uncertainty, and a deep sense of despair.
If this is what the future looks like, we are not only losing our best minds to brain drain but we are also crushing the hopes of those who choose to stay.
This is no longer a battle to crack an exam, it is a battle to even have a fair exam in the first place and until that is achieved, no number of slogans or “Pariksha Pe Charcha” can protect the aspirations of India’s youth.
(The author is Editor, TheRise.co.in, and graduate of The Print School of Journalism. The author can be reached at neha20j@gmail.com)
(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ukhrul Times. Ukhrul Times values and encourages diverse perspectives.)