New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- Two decades ago, competitive engineering examinations were a necessity for aspiring engineers. Hordes of students would line up every year, seeking one of the few seats available at India's top engineering institutes. For those who could persevere through extreme academic and societal pressure for eight years, prosperity beckoned on the other side.

This prosperity came in the form of annual salaries upward of Rs.50 lakh as the likes of Google, Microsoft and other specialised firms started hiring engineers for core roles - not just service and maintenance. Attracted by this, families would put their lives on hold, mortgage their properties, and go to extreme lengths to ensure that their children bagged one of these jo...