The Race for Ranks

The push for academic success in Kashmir is draining families and shaping young lives in ways we can no longer afford to ignore.

- Malik Daniyal and Shahida Mushtaq

Education in Kashmir has always carried the weight of expectation.

For decades, families have looked to books and degrees as their path to dignity and security. But when learning turns into a product sold in shiny packages, the dream begins to cost more than most can afford.

Today, Kashmir’s coaching centres are estimated to be worth several hundred crores. They cover everything from medical and engineering entrances to civil services and even school-level tutoring.

Every step of a child’s academic journey has been turned into a business opportunity. Students move through long hours of memorization, expensive study guides, and endless tests.

The question is no longer what they are learning, but how much they are paying.

At the heart of this growing system is fear.

Parents are often told, directly or indirectly, that missing out on a particular coaching centre could ruin their child’s future. Fees as high as 1.5 to 2lakh are treated as necessary, not optional.

Many families willingly sell gold, take loans, or cut daily expenses to pay these fees. For a daily wage worker earning 600 or 700 a day, spending 70,000 on coaching feels like an investment in survival.

But this isn’t always an investment that pays off.

Classes stretch from early morning to late evening, and instead of sparking curiosity, they leave students exhausted. Many no longer find joy in learning. They are buried under expectations they cannot escape, and soon their mental health begins to suffer.