Startup founder Akhil Suhag critiques India's entrance exam system for stifling talent.
In a candid LinkedIn post (external link) that has gone viral, startup founder Akhil Suhag has sparked a nationwide debate about the effectiveness and fairness of India's education system, particularly its reliance on competitive entrance exams like those for the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Union Public Service Commission.
Suhag argues that this approach not only misdirects young talent but also hampers the nation's long-term innovation potential.
Suhag opens his post with a striking observation: 'A 13 year old obsessed with coding wants to be the best in the world. What does the system do? It forces him to waste 4/5 years memorising chemistry and physics (leaving maths out, as that might be important for coding) just to get into IIT/NIT etc.'
He highlights a fundamental flaw in the system: Aptitude and passion often take a backseat to the rote learning required for entrance tests.
The cost of rote learning
The repercussions of this rigid structure extend beyond academics. Suhag explains: 'Because his rank isn't 'high enough', he's shoved into something as random as textile engineering -- because where you study is more important than what you study.'
Eight critical years of learning are spent on exam preparation rather than on developing specialised skills.
'Eight years gone. Eight prime learning years. Eight years that could have made him the best coder on the planet. Instead, the system tells him: 'Sorry, wrong rank. Wrong branch. Wrong tag.'
He emphasises the demotivating effect of this system: 'God, forbid if instead of prepping for entrances he actually pursues coding, he gets punished. Random college, which then leads to random jobs -- killing motivation and drive along the way completely.'
Career trajectories shaped by rankings
Suhag also draws attention to the long-term impact of the college-centric system. 'Your college determines your first job; your first job determines your profile for an MBA,' he writes. This underlines how career trajectories and opportunities are often dictated by arbitrary ranks achieved through stressful exams rather than by talent or practical skills.
Societal perceptions compound the issue. 'And somehow everyone believes that in a country with our population only those who make it to these colleges are 'intelligent' -- just by percentages... that seems like an argument not worth having but we do not consider the other on the same level.'
UPSC and wasted young talent
Suhag extends his critique to the UPSC, calling it a 'black hole of wasted potential'.
'Hundreds of thousands of brilliant young people wasting their prime years mugging up random trivia for 500 seats,' he writes, questioning whether this testing method genuinely measures competencies required for effective governance.
Highlighting the lack of psychological and emotional evaluation in UPSC exams, he contrasts it with the armed forces: 'Even the army does psychological and emotional testing -- but not UPSC/IAS. It's not just unfair. It's stupid. It's destructive. India kills its own talent before the world even gets to see it.'
The LinkedIn post, widely shared, has resonated with students, educators and policymakers, reflecting a growing concern about the pressure and inefficiency inherent in India's exam-centric education system.
Suhag's central argument is not merely that exams are challenging but that they often fail to identify and nurture talent.
The intense focus on memorisation creates a bottleneck whereby only a fraction of capable students can progress according to rank rather than capability.
This approach, he warns, can have cascading effects on innovation, productivity and economic growth.
Suhag also highlights the unfairness of a system that allows minor factors like health or anxiety on a test day to disproportionately influence life outcomes.
'So much dependence on these tests -- how many lose out because they had fever that day? Or woke up on the wrong side? Anxiety? But such a large part of your life story gets written that day.'
Rethinking how India nurtures talent
Akhil Suhag's critique calls for a fundamental re-evaluation of India's approach to nurturing talent.
By highlighting the inequities and inefficiencies in the exam system, he advocates for an education model that aligns more closely with students' interests and potential.
The broader discourse that has emerged around his post reflects a recognition that India's current system may need reform to avoid squandering the abilities of its youth -- a generation capable of global leadership and innovation if given the opportunity.