New Delhi, March 7 -- So much has changed in post-liberalization India, but one rite of passage has remained the same. This March, India's senior school students have begun taking their annual school leaving examination. They have come this far after months of preparation, early mornings and late nights, tuitions and extra tuitions, and a lot of stress. Many would have relied on "cram guides" to game the system. A few months down, when the results are announced, the toppers will be feted and the children who haven't done well will be consoled with homilies about how such exams do not matter in the race called life. What is inexplicable is that this experience by and large mirrors what their parents went through three-odd decades ago. One would have thought that the parents of these new-generation students would have recognized the imperfections of the system and sought education reform. One would have imagined parents seeking less stress for their children, and greater learning and skill-development. Unfortunately, none of this has taken place. That is a shame....