Academic pressure drives students to end life

Bangalore, May 24 (UNI) Unrealistic expectations, inability to cope up with failure, high expectations from parents and intense self hatred have alarming effects on young minds, mainly those studying in Class XII, and this is evidenced in the number of suicide cases reported in the city every year after the announcement of the final exam results.

'Killer Exams,' a new term being used for the examinations of Class XII, was becoming increasingly burdensome to students with getting admissions to professional colleges becoming tougher each passing year.

This year was no different. Eversince the Second Pre-University results were announced in the city two days ago, two girls have committed suicide and three others tried to end their lives.

Eighteen-year-old Archana Dakshinamurthy committed suicide as she flunk in the CBSE class XII exams.

Her parents, who had been repeatedly trying to reach her over cell phone, were shell shocked to find their daughter hanging from the ceiling fan of their house. Archana took the extreme step unable to cope up with failure.

The case of Nandita Nandakishore was even more tragic. The girl, a student of the National Public School, had committed suicide in a similar manner without knowing that she had come out with flying colours in the exam, scoring 85 per cent.

According to the Vice-Principal of the School Nandita was a brilliant and cheerful student.

Mental and peer pressure had driven the talented student to end her life. Her family was yet to recover from the shock.

Of the three students who had attempted suicide, one girl had consumed a high dose of sedatives and was battling for life at a private hospital, while another, who had taken anti-convulsant drugs, had been discharged recently. The condition of the third, a boy, who had consumed phenyl, was not know as he refused to get admitted to a hospital.

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