'Betrayal' after years of sacrifice: Young victims of India's exam leak scandal

The tragic death of Rema Begum, a 20-year-old aspiring doctor from a remote Indian village, underscores the devastating impact of a nationwide medical entrance exam leak. After years of dedicated study and significant family financial investment in coaching classes, Begum was confident of securing a seat in a government medical school. However, the discovery that the exam paper had been leaked and a retest was ordered shattered her hopes, leading to her death days later.

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After the exam, she was absolutely confident that she would clear it. But after a retest was announced because the paper had leaked, she became a different person and withdrew into a shell.

Begum's father, Rajaul Islam, a fish trader, described his daughter as his "gem" and struggled to comprehend her loss of hope. He noted a profound change in her demeanor after the retest announcement. "After the exam, she was absolutely confident that she would clear it," Islam told AFP. "But after a retest was announced because the paper had leaked, she became a different person and withdrew into a shell." Islam had invested heavily in her education, sending her to coaching centers for two years, and Begum was deeply worried about the financial sacrifices going to waste.

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I had spent a lot of money on her studies, so she was worried it would all go to waste.

Begum's suicide is reportedly one of at least 20 among students who took their own lives following the exam leak, according to local media and activists. This scandal, along with other irregularities, has ignited widespread protests and public anger, with many students criticizing an education system perceived as unfairly stacked against them. The intense competition for the roughly 137,000 medical seats available nationwide, for which over two million candidates competed this year, fuels a massive coaching industry.

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Getting through the NEET examination therefore means, for many families, the assurance of a happy and comfortable life.

Literary scholar G.N. Devy explained the high stakes involved: "Getting through the NEET examination therefore means, for many families, the assurance of a happy and comfortable life." However, the disproportionate number of aspirants compared to available seats creates immense pressure. In Rajasthan, a farmer named Rajesh Kumar sold ancestral land and took out loans totaling 1.1 million rupees ($11,400) to fund his son Pradeep Meena's three years of coaching classes, toiling up to 16 hours a day on his farm with the hope that his son's medical career would ensure a comfortable old age.

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I toiled for up to 16 hours a day on the farm so that he could take coaching classes. Because I thought if he becomes a doctor it would all be worth it, and I could lead a comfortable life in my old age.