Examination Must Begin with the Self

In India, exams are less of an assessment and more of a nationwide festival.

- Debashis Chatterjee

Families unite, not for celebrations, but to strategise study schedules for examinee Arjun. Mother Maitryei becomes the Chief Invigilating Officer of the house, monitoring his every move with the vigilance of a hawk. Aunt Prabha, who failed in her school leaving exam, has suddenly become a self-appointed career counsellor, suggesting a whole range of career options from astronomy to archaeology. The neighbours, Iyers and Nairs, start speculating on the potential results of the exams as if they were Test cricket scores. The atmosphere is so charged that even the family dog senses the tension and tiptoes around, lest its barking be blamed for any academic mishaps. Krishna’s sleep is invaded by dancing mathematical equations and the sequential march of Mughal Emperors. Sounds familiar?