Abhimanyu Sadasivan, 16, left, who committed suicide in the middle of his exams, with his younger brother Ekalavyan, 13. Courtesy Sadasivan family
Abhimanyu Sadasivan, 16, left, who committed suicide in the middle of his exams, with his younger brother Ekalavyan, 13. Courtesy Sadasivan family
Abhimanyu Sadasivan, 16, left, who committed suicide in the middle of his exams, with his younger brother Ekalavyan, 13. Courtesy Sadasivan family
Abhimanyu Sadasivan, 16, left, who committed suicide in the middle of his exams, with his younger brother Ekalavyan, 13. Courtesy Sadasivan family

Parents of suicide teenager get to see son’s final words on chemistry exam paper


  • English
  • Arabic

DUBAI // The parents of a 16-year-old pupil who hanged himself were finally shown a copy of the exam paper that he wrote his suicide note on.

Abhimanyu Sadasivan’s last words were written on February 25 – five days before he hanged himself – telling of the pressures of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) system at the Indian High School Dubai. His body was found at the family apartment in Sharjah.

In the note, Abhimanyu talks of his love for his parents and younger brother and wrote he hoped his death would force the CBSE to consider the rigorous pressures the CBSE placed on pupils.

“It was his farewell to us and told how he loved us,” said his mother, Ambika Sadasivan. “He said the paper was only for us parents to see.

“I do feel really sad that he did not approach us or speak to us about what he went through. Ours was a happy home. He was a lovely boy.

“It was a very bad decision on his part but a mother cannot be angry with her son.”

The school has so far not given the family a copy of the note, said Mrs Sadasivan, but said it would do so at a later date.

“We believe they will live up to the promise,” she said.

“They told us that they could give a copy only to the police or the KHDA [Knowledge and Human Development Authority],” Mrs Sadasivan said. “We wanted to know the reasons why he took this step. We hold nothing against the school for what happened.”

She said reading the full, seven-page note, written on the chemistry exam answer sheet, had at least given the family some closure.

CBSE, a system based on rote learning, is known for its intense competition. Each year, tens of thousands of Grade 12 pupils sit crucial exams, and the final marks determine what universities they will be able to attend.

“My son had written: ‘The CBSE system is based on mugging [rote]. Education should be about understanding and applying your knowledge. My death should be a lesson and a reason for the system to change’,” Mrs Sadasivan said.

“My son had a pretty high IQ but he could never learn by mugging. He had to understand what he was studying. He liked reading and writing a lot.

“They are so young when they have to choose whether to opt for the commerce or science stream. They don’t know what pressures they could face later.”

The boy’s parents had been called to the school on the day of their son’s death, three hours after he failed to turn up for a maths exam, to be shown his note.

The headmaster told them that they were waiting for Abhimanyu to come to school to question him about the note.

He had written: “This is not my chemistry paper but the last exam I am writing. I am so bored of my life. I don’t want to live any more. When I am dead, I do not want my body to be taken to India.”

The top-performing school on Oud Metha Road had sent repeated reminders to his parents to pay school fees of Dh3,395 in the two months after he died, but later apologised to them blaming it on a computer error.

The school had made public its apology to the parents for demanding fees on its Twitter account @IndianHigh_DXB.

It read: “IHS would like to humbly apologise for the fee invoice email sent to you. It was a mix-up from our end and we had no intentions to hurt your feelings at this stage of bereavement. It was due to a technical error that the email was generated and sent.”

The school did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

High expectations in the annual Grade 12 exams from results-orientated Indian families have been blamed for several youth suicides every year in India and elsewhere.

pkannan@thenational.ae

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results:

CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off

1.           Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds

2.           Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09

3.           Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42

4.           Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63

5.           Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Tickets

Tickets for the 2019 Asian Cup are available online, via www.asiancup2019.com

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

RESULTS

5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte

Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000

Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8

Transmission Eight-speed automatic

Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm

Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm

Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km

Crazy Rich Asians

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan

Four stars

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:

Juventus 1 Ajax 2

Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate

A cheaper choice

Vanuatu: $130,000

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.

Benefits:  No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.