Anuradha Rao

Far more than opportunity or access, Indian students are increasingly asking whether the examination system itself deserves their trust. My name is Meera, and my story could belong to millions of students across India. I stand with the students protesting today because their anger is not only about an examination but about a breach of trust. My grandmother left school because the nearest secondary school was too far away. My mother went to college, earned a degree and found work. I have grown...

The protests at Jantar Mantar have brought together students, activists and political leaders over the NEET paper leak. Actors and filmmakers have offered support, the latest being Salman Khan (the actor, not the educator). The anger is understandable. An examination on which millions stake years of preparation cannot become a commodity available to those with money, influence or access. But what, precisely, must the protest achieve? “Improve education” cannot be its demand. It is a worthy...

There are a few places in India where a walk of less than a kilometre can take you through more than a century of the nation’s memory. In Amritsar, it can. Within walking distance stand Jallianwala Bagh, the Partition Museum and the Golden Temple. Together, they mark three moments when India's sense of itself was profoundly altered. Jallianwala Bagh reminds us of the brutality of colonial rule. The Partition Museum bears witness to the human cost of Independence and Partition. The Golden...