New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- India has declared war on examination fraud. Paper leaks will invite harsher prison terms. Organized cheating syndicates will face tougher penalties. Probes will be faster. Special courts will deliver swifter justice. Parliament has concluded that if examinations resemble a crime thriller, perhaps criminal law should play a larger role.

What if paper leaks aren't the disease? What if the examination itself is?

Every year, millions of students devote their adolescence to preparing for an exam that lasts a few hours but determines their career trajectory of the next 40 years. With childhood spent at coaching centres and sleep treated as optional, curiosity ends up as collateral damage. Then we act surprised if a quest...