Two Minutes Late, A Lifetime of Dreams Lost

I could not stand the sight of two girls crying in front of the examination center gate. They were denied entry because they were just two minutes late.

Another scene broke my heart even more. The father fell to the ground sobbing and beating his chest as his daughter, who had just been deprived of the opportunity to take the test, tried to console him amidst her tears.

No one who witnessed those scenes would forget them.

They Were Late, Not Fraudsters

It was simply because they came late, and not that they cheated or indulged in any sort of fraud.

While fixing the time of reporting for such crucial exams conducted by the government of India, one must not forget the poor people who have to come by public transport.

The government should acknowledge a simple fact. Traffic management in many parts of India is far from ideal. Traffic jams are common. Some candidates even reached the wrong location because Google Maps directed them incorrectly before they could find the actual center.

These are realities beyond the control of many aspirants.

When the reason is anything other than fraud or malpractice, they should be allowed to write the examination. If it is about maintaining strict rules for everyone, then keep a reasonable grace period.

Two minutes was easily forgivable. Sadly, it was not.

What This Examination Means to Them

For many of these aspirants, this examination is not just another test.

It represents years of hard work, sacrifice, and hope.

Many come from poor families where the entire household pins its future on the result of one government examination. Watching a lifetime of preparation disappear within a matter of seconds is heartbreaking.

Being a government-conducted examination, the authorities should consider keeping a grace period for genuine cases.

After the paper leak controversy, we witnessed reports of several suicides this year. We should have shown some mercy to these young aspirants instead of adding to their despair.

We Have Already Seen Enough Damage

With so many aspirants already under immense pressure and with the damage caused by paper leaks and administrative failures, these students should have been allowed to write the examination.

After all, they did not cheat. They did not engage in fraud.

In the end, we are human beings conducting examinations for other human beings.

If aspirants could forgive the failures of the system, perhaps the system could have forgiven two minutes.

This Country Belongs to Its Citizens

We often forget that this country is for its citizens.

Sometimes governments begin to believe that once elected, the country belongs to them.

It doesn’t.

This country belongs to the people who elected them, as much as it belongs to those in power.

Every policy and every decision should reflect that.

Let Us Be Human Instead of Robotic

It is easy to enforce rules.

It takes wisdom to know when compassion causes no harm.

Showing mercy in genuine situations like this would not have compromised the integrity of the examination. It could, however, have saved years of effort and protected the dreams of deserving candidates.

If someone arrives well beyond a reasonable grace period, by all means, do not allow them.

But two minutes?

This is the future generation of this nation. Do not nip their dreams in the bud. Allow them to bloom.

However, it is the duty of the government to also improve the management of traffic, the roads, and examinations.

Rules matter.

But humanity should matter too.