Fraud and Despair: India's Rigged Exams Crush Dreams of Escaping Poverty for Rural Youth

Rural farmers in India's wealthy Maharashtra state are committing suicide due to falling crop prices and rising costs. Their children see government jobs as the only escape.

Exams for these coveted jobs are plagued by rampant cheating and leaks, allowing only the influential and wealthy to obtain positions.

Poor, marginalized exam candidates have lost tens of thousands of dollars paying for countless exam fees over years without success. Many spiral into severe depression.

Activists have filed lawsuits demanding investigations and cancellation of fraudulent exam appointments, but the government has taken little action so far.

The exam scandal crushes the dreams of youths hoping to lift their families out of poverty. One farmer said, "It is frustrating to see people scam their way to the top while I work hard and get nothing."