Srinagar, Aug. 13 -- In classrooms and coaching centres across India, dreams are nurtured, but too often, so is silent suffering. Last month, the Supreme Court broke that silence. By laying down guidelines to safeguard students' mental health, the court acknowledged a crisis that has stolen far too many young lives and gone unaddressed for too long. Behind the ranks and results we celebrate are young people weighed down by the burden of parental expectation, isolation, and the feeling that they have nowhere to turn.

In Jammu and Kashmir, this problem is endemic but generally goes unaddressed. Here, academic stress is compounded by years of political uncertainty, and shrinking job markets. For many young people, the future feels less like...