The Great Obsession

Indian students throw themselves into the study of science, math, and technology to earn a coveted spot in one of the country’s prestigious, and competitive, engineering and medical colleges.

Chennai, India

At 6 p.m., with Chennai’s humid sun low on the horizon, Subashini Menon paces the roof of her house, reading in a quiet staccato from a heavy computer-science textbook. Pencil-thin arms and legs stick out from her black skirt and blue blouse. Oversized glasses cover her face, except for an ear-to-ear smile that breaks out easily and often when she speaks.

“This is my favorite place to study because it’s so peaceful here,” the 15-year-old says, gesturing around her at the small space that offers a view of the tops of the palm and papaya trees growing abundantly in the neighborhood. She spends hours here each evening. About half a mile away is her favorite part of the view—an ornately carved temple sitting atop a hill.

But over the edge of Subashini’s haven, the view changes dramatically. Slums are all around, as far as the eye can see. A woman washes aluminum dishes for the evening’s dinner on the mud streets outside her hut. More women, with colorful plastic pots, line up at a single public tap to collect drinking water that trickles out for an...