The Rat Race
Updated: Jun 5
Winning or achieving by bringing another down,
An evil grin resulting from someone’s frown,
Chopping off a King’s head to snatch the crown,
Floating on the water by making one drown,
Gives what satisfaction? Compared to a smile from a clown,
Or making our own chocolate cake in a rich brown,
Or stitching for our mother a handmade gown,
Or laying down one’s life to save a whole town!
Welcome to India. The land of spicy food, sarees, billions of Gods, Bollywood, unique culture and whatnot. We have basically everything here! Well, almost. But what we do have, and something which I am personally very proud of since I’m a part of it, are the IITs, the Indian Institutes of Technology. They are the best Engineering colleges in India, without a doubt, and definitely among the best in the world. Many in the country want to be part of these institutes at some point in their lives. But there are only 16 IITs, with a cumulative intake of nearly 11,000 per year. Since our population is around 120 crores, it is clear that not everyone carries the IIT brand.
This leads to the next obvious question: Who are those few? The answer to this is the JEE, arguably the world’s toughest exam. Children are now made to start preparing for it as early as the 6th grade, when they probably don’t even know what the acronym IIT stands for! This leads to intense competition among the children to become one of the top 11,000 in the country. The word ‘topper’ becomes a nickname of sorts, which is desired by all but is destined to be given to only one, with the others left in a fit of anger and revenge on that person. It leads to the destruction of many friendships and relationships. The innocent and fragile mind of a child is forced to compete with peers and develop a sense of selfishness.
