WHEN MERIT IS DETHRONED, A NATION WITHERS

Across the country, in the hope of a better future, millions of students spend their formative years preparing for competitive exams.

- ACHARYA PRASHANT

In their single-minded pursuit, they bury themselves in books as friendships fade, hobbies are set aside, and festivals pass unnoticed.

This discipline rests on a simple belief: that sincere effort will be recognized and rewarded through a fair system. But what happens when that expectation is betrayed? When the student who trusted the rulebook discovers that the rules bend for a chosen few? Despite years of preparation, many students are seen facing technical or logistical issues at exam centers that undermine their performance. Sometimes their admit card is faulty, or their biometric attendance fails, or their exam center is hundreds of kilometers away.

In some cases, they later discover that the paper was leaked and that selection was manipulated in favour of less deserving candidates, through unfair means or powerful connections.

Such incidents spark public outrage and lead to calls for tighter regulations and corruption probes, but the foundation of these repeated failures remains untouched.

The real crisis, after all, runs deeper than administrative shortcomings. It is cultural and systemic; it is a steady corrosion of our respect for knowledge and fairness.

WHEN MERIT CRUMBLES, SO DOES CHARACTER When the honest are left behind and the dishonest rise through deceit, a quiet disillusionment begins to take hold. Students no longer see sincerity as strength; they begin to view it as naive. Putting in effort starts to feel like the wrong strategy, and integrity appears not only unrewarded but actively disadvantageous. Their inner locus of control breaks.