“I Just Eat And Study": Why Indian Students Are So Stressed Out | Insight | Full Episode

Key Concepts

• Academic Stress: Anxiety and pressure related to exams, competition, and performance in education.
• Coaching Centers: Private institutions that provide intensive exam preparation, particularly for competitive entrance exams.
• Tier 1 Institutions: Top-ranked universities and colleges in India, such as IITs, AIIMS, and IISc, known for their high standards and competitive admissions.
• NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test): A national-level entrance exam for medical courses in India.
• JEE (Joint Entrance Examination): A national-level entrance exam for engineering courses in India, particularly for IITs and NITs.
• UPSC (Union Public Service Commission): Exam for recruitment to higher civil services in India.
• Reservation Policy: A form of affirmative action in India where a certain percentage of seats in educational institutions and jobs are reserved for marginalized communities (lower castes, tribes, etc.).
• NEP (National Education Policy) 2020: A comprehensive framework for the transformation of education in India, focusing on holistic learning, flexibility, and reducing the emphasis on exams.
• Employability: The ability of graduates to secure relevant employment, often assessed through skills and educational background.
• Hustle Culture: A work ethic that glorifies long hours and constant productivity, often leading to burnout and stress.

The Alarming Reality of Student Stress in India

Introduction: A Crisis of Young Lives

• In 2024, student suicides in India surpassed farmer suicides, highlighting a critical issue.
• The loss of young lives is a significant blow to families, communities, and the nation.
• The intense competition for higher education is identified as a major contributing factor.

The Rigorous Academic Schedule

• Example: Anu Agarwal, a 22-year-old preparing for the UPSC exam, follows a strict study schedule of 7-8 hours daily, sacrificing personal time.
• Students face a barrage of standardized tests, including the All India Senior School Certificate Examination, JEE (for engineering), and NEET (for medicine).
• Exam results heavily influence access to universities and job opportunities.
• Statistic: A survey indicates that 8 out of 10 students in grades 9-12 experience exam-related anxiety, with 20-30% experiencing severe impairment in daily function.

The Pressure for Higher Education

• India's economic progress has increased the importance of higher education for social and economic mobility.
• Statistic: In 2022, over 43 million students were enrolled in higher education, a 26% increase since 2015.
• Graduates have a higher probability of securing white-collar jobs.
• Universities are seen as spaces for social mobility, but the pressure to succeed can be overwhelming for young students.
• Students often face pressure to relieve their families' financial burdens.

The Structure of Higher Education in India

• Universities: Large institutions offering a range of degrees.
• Colleges: Smaller institutions affiliated with universities, primarily focused on undergraduate studies.
• India has expanded its higher education infrastructure significantly, from 600 universities in 2012 to over 1,200 with 43,000 affiliated colleges.
• However, a limited number of institutions are considered "Tier 1" and are highly sought after.
• Examples: IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), IISc (Indian Institute of Science).
• Competition for these Tier 1 schools is fierce, with acceptance rates lower than those of Harvard or MIT.
• Statistics: Approximately 700,000-800,000 students appear for the JEE, and 2.2 million for medical admissions.

The Employment Landscape

• Tier 1 institutions attract the best students and jobs, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle of success.
• Times Higher Education: In 2025, 10 Indian schools made the list of 250 universities producing the most employable graduates, all considered Tier 1.
• Educational background significantly influences hiring, especially for fresh graduates.
• Mercer Metal Report (2024): Only 4 in 10 Indian graduates are considered employable, highlighting a skills gap.
• ILO (International Labor Organization): In 2024, the unemployment rate among Indian graduates was around 29%, compared to a general unemployment rate of almost 5%.
• Students face pressure to choose high-paying fields, making life decisions at a young age without adequate knowledge of the world.
• Universities are meant to foster independent and critical thinking, not just employability.

The Exam Coaching Industry

The Rise of Coaching Centers

• The intense competition for university entrance exams has led to a booming coaching industry.
• Example: Hinduru Academy, a coaching center, has grown from 97 students to 900-1,000 in four years.
• The exam prep industry is a multi-billion dollar sector in Asia.
• Statistics: In 2022, the Indian coaching sector was worth $6.7 billion USD and is projected to reach $15.1 billion by 2028.
• Coaching centers guide students and facilitate practice for entrance exams.
• Common Entrance Exams: NEET, JEE, CUET (Common University Entrance Test).
• Students often pursue medicine or engineering for respect and career prospects.
• Example: Uruba Naz is taking the NEET exam again after two years, this time with coaching, to fulfill her father's dream.
• Approximately 1.8 million students are expected to take the NEET this year, competing for 90,000 MBBS seats.

The Impact of Coaching on Students

• Coaching involves grueling schedules, often leaving students with little time for themselves or family interaction.
• Example: Uruba's schedule includes waking up at 5-5:30 AM and attending coaching from 9 AM to 2:10 PM.
• Coaching centers have become so popular that parents are pulling their kids from state schools to attend them.
• Kota, Rajasthan: A major coaching hub where students are 13 times more likely to feel high levels of academic stress.
• Coaching institutions capitalize on insecurities and sell the idea that hard work guarantees success.
• Students in coaching often miss out on essential life skills and friendships.
• Coaching can be expensive, with fees ranging from 40,000 to 200,000 rupees per year in Kota.
• Parental Pressure: Parents often invest heavily in coaching, creating immense pressure on students to succeed.

Regulations and Concerns

• In 2024, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines to regulate the tutoring industry.
• Coaching centers cannot enroll students younger than 16 and must avoid misleading advertising.
• Coaching centers are a symptom of a flawed educational system that relies heavily on single-point examinations.
• The system should provide opportunities for youngsters to pursue their interests and capacities.

Challenges in Higher Education

Pressures Beyond Entrance Exams

• College life presents a new set of challenges for Indian students.
• Higher education in India is comparatively tougher than in other countries.
• Students often experience being away from home for the first time.
• Stressful environments can impact students emotionally, physically, and cognitively, leading to burnout.
• Statistics: A national survey found that 86% of medical students reported feeling disengaged, and 80% faced exhaustion.
• Stress factors include unrealistic expectations, institutional demands, and parental pressure.

The Crisis of Student Suicides

• Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth in India, with academic stress playing a significant role.
• Statistics: Over 60% of student suicides are linked to academic stress and fear of failure.
• A study of 8,500 students across 30 universities revealed that over 1 in 10 had suicidal thoughts in the past year, and over one-third attempted suicide.
• Students in competitive fields face a "do or die" mentality, fearing failure.
• Marginalized students face additional pressures, including fear of feeling out of place and discrimination.

Cast-Based Discrimination

• Amuta Versini Sentokumar: A law student at NLU Delhi who took her own life, highlighting the pressures faced by marginalized students.
• Data presented in parliament showed that from 2019 to 2021, a majority of students who took their own lives in central universities were from lower castes, classes, and tribal communities.
• Marginalized students have less access to resources to alleviate pressures.
• Reservation Policy: While intended to ensure representation, it can lead to resentment and discrimination from upper-caste students.
• Cast-based bullying can manifest in various forms, including name-calling and questioning a student's merit.
• The Supreme Court has requested data on cast-based bullying cases across universities.

Mental Health Support

• Mental health support for students in higher education is inadequate in India.
• Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar: Part of a task force convened to address rising suicides in IITs.
• Every institute should have a specific mental health support plan involving students, staff, and administrators.
• India loses 174,000 people to suicide annually and has a national suicide prevention strategy that has not been implemented.
• After Amuta's death, NLU Delhi closed for two days but offered no substantial changes.

Potential Solutions and the Path Forward

Addressing the Root Causes

• Increasing the number of Tier 1 schools to raise acceptance rates.
• India has a large number of institutions, but many are not perceived as the best due to their age or lack of established reputation.
• Universities struggle with faculty recruitment, leading to professor shortages and compromised teaching quality.
• IIT Council (2019): Found that over half of its professors did not put in enough effort on research and teaching.
• IITs have adopted a tenure track for professors to improve performance.
• The UGC is trying to improve teaching quality and ensure teachers are well-paid and respected.

Improving Mental Health Support

• The UGC issued guidelines in 2022 for universities to promote mental health and student well-being.
• Higher educational institutes are required to have student services centers to address stress and emotional needs.
• There is a shortage of mental health professionals, with often only one counselor for over 8,000 students.
• Counseling is helpful but does not address the structural issues causing mental health problems.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

• Aims to transform education by promoting equitable education, improving teaching quality, and focusing on holistic and multidisciplinary learning.
• Removes barriers between disciplines, allowing students to choose subjects according to their interests.
• Seeks to change the exam-focused culture and eliminate the need for coaching through regular assessments.
• Tamil Nadu Example: Allowing students to retake exams led to a 70% drop in exam failure suicides.

Societal Changes

• A shift away from "hustle culture" and the normalization of extreme work hours is needed.
• Prioritizing student well-being and recognizing the value of education beyond business.
• The Supreme Court has issued directions to address suicide prevention in higher education.
• Quality education should be every child's right, and no child should have to compete to study.

Conclusion: A Hopeful Outlook

• The Indian higher education system is evolving to meet changing global challenges.
• There is a growing focus on research and quality.
• The hope is that in 10 years, higher education in India will be the best in the world, prioritizing education over business.