This chapter offers a critical examination of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in adolescence, challenging its uncritical celebration by highlighting its paradoxical nature. Drawing on theoretical frameworks and empirical findings from Indian adolescents, it reveals that emotionally competent youth particularly girls may also show elevated levels of neuroticism, psychoticism, and criminal propensity, suggesting that EI may mask internal distress or serve manipulative functions. In collectivist contexts, emotional suppression driven by gendered norms may further distort emotional development. To address these dynamics, the chapter proposes a mindfulness-based EI framework incorporating ethical reflection, breathwork, meditation, and Positive Life Orientation (PLO), promoting resilience and emotional authenticity. It calls for ethically grounded, culturally responsive EI education that moves beyond skill acquisition to foster emotional maturity, integrity, and social responsibility. Practical recommendations for educators, psychologists, and policymakers are also presented.