Srinagar, Feb. 27 -- A recent tragedy in Bengaluru involving a retired ISRO employee allegedly killing his wife, reportedly out of fear about who would care for her after his death, has shaken many people far beyond the city where it occurred. Early reports describe a deeply distressing situation shaped by emotional strain, ageing, isolation, and anxiety about the future. Police have said the case is under investigation.

But for many readers, the incident has stirred a painful question that goes beyond crime and law:

What is the meaning of educating our children for success if, in the end, parents are left alone in old age-needing not money, but presence?

It is a hard question. And it deserves an honest answer.

Education is not the pr...