Rema Begum grew up in a rural Indian village with a mother who had a chronic illness. Her dream of becoming a doctor was dashed by her own untimely demise.

The 20-year-old thought she had finally done enough to secure a desired spot at a government medical school after years of study and expensive coaching classes.

A retest was then mandated after it was discovered that the medical entrance exam question paper she had taken had been compromised.

Begum passed away a few days later.

According to local media and activists, she was one of at least 20 students who reportedly committed suicide following the incident.

Along with a number of other anomalies, the exam paper leak has spurred rallies around the country and public outrage over an educational system that many students claim is biased against them.

Begum’s father, Rajaul Islam, is still having difficulty comprehending how his “gem” of a daughter lost hope a month after her passing.

However, he feels that everything changed when the retest news was made.

“After the exam, she was absolutely confident that she would clear it,” Islam told AFP over the phone from the family’s Assamese village in the northeast.

“But after a retest was announced because the paper had leaked, she became a different person and withdrew into a shell.”

He said she couldn’t be reassured by anything the family said.

Islam, a fish dealer, had spent a lot of money on his daughter’s training, sending her for two years to coaching facilities in bigger cities.

“I had spent a lot of money on her studies, so she was worried it would all go to waste,” he said.

“Happy life”

Begum was discovered dead a few days before to the revised exam date.

In India, where admission to a government-run medical institution continues to be one of the most sought-after routes to financial security, her death serves as a stark reminder of the tremendous demands placed on students.

Millions of young people continue to endure a lack of well-paying jobs and intense competition for professional vocations despite the world’s most populous nation experiencing fast growth.

According to literary scholar and former professor G.N., passing the NEET exam thus ensures a happy and comfortable life for many families. Devy, in reference to the NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test).

“But the number of students who want these places is completely out of proportion to the number of institutions available.”

This year, over two million applicants took the test, vying for over 137,000 medical seats across the country.

Due to the odds, a vast coaching industry has grown, with students spending years preparing—often at great financial cost to their families.

Rajesh Kumar, a farmer in Rajasthan, borrowed 1.1 million rupees ($11,400) and sold family land to pay for his son Pradeep Meena’s three-year coaching program.

“I toiled for up to 16 hours a day on the farm so that he could take coaching classes,” Kumar told AFP.

“Because I thought if he becomes a doctor it would all be worth it, and I could lead a comfortable life in my old age.”

Meena seemed confident that he had passed the test.

Kumar remembered his son telling him that “even God cannot stop me from becoming a doctor now” while giving him a hug.

The 22-year-old committed suicide a day after authorities announced the retest.

“Betrayed”

Another family in Uttar Pradesh experienced a similar tragedy following the passing of Ritik Mishra, their 21-year-old son.

His father, Anup Kumar Mishra, remarked, “It was his third attempt, and he said he had done well this time,” in reference to the test.

A day after the exam leak was made public, his son committed suicide.

It was a taxing process for pupils who eventually retook the test.

“It is very demoralising mentally,” stated Chaitanya Aggarwal, 19.

“You give your best and then you are forced to take it again.”

The emotional cost should not be undervalued, according to educators.

According to Abhijit Patra, a teacher at a coaching center in the eastern city of Kolkata, “it’s a highly stressful experience to prepare for and take the exam, and having to do it all over again is not easy.”

“Paper leaks make an already hectic experience even worse.”

According to Devy, the former professor, many families saw the scandal as a “betrayal” following years of sacrifice.

He claimed that preparing for admission exams was frequently socially and financially taxing, especially for lower-income family that couldn’t afford expensive private colleges or schooling overseas.

“They begin this journey of preparation with hope, so when they discover the paper has leaked or been sold, they feel betrayed,” Devy added.

Begum’s family is still looking for answers thousands of kilometres away from the protest scene in the nation’s capital, New Delhi.

“I request the government to take irregularities in examinations seriously,” her father stated.

“They should understand that it is not easy for a child from a poor family to dream of a better life and work towards it.”