Srinagar, May 3 -- The exam results in Kashmir are out. Social media is glowing with pictures of mark sheets and shiny percentages. Parents update their bios with their children's scores. Schools send out press releases. Coaching centers take credit.

But beneath the celebration is a quiet concern: Is this what education is supposed to be?

In Kashmir, and much of South Asia, exams have become the centerpiece of learning. The system rewards memory over meaning, speed over understanding. Students are trained to produce perfect answers, not to ask good questions. That isn't just outdated, it's unfair.

Each year, I meet students who top their classes but cannot explain a concept without referring to their notes. I've seen average scorers th...