NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Sikar in Rajasthan
Students in Sikar prepare for their Class XII examination as well as for NEET and JEE. Some students find the grind stressful especially because they are away from their families
A 16-year-old student, who was preparing to appear for NEET to qualify for a medical course, died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Sikar’s on Thursday night, police said on Monday.
The case in Sikar follows the death by suicide of 23 coaching students in Kota this year.
The teen from Karauli district arrived in Sikar in April and was staying at a hostel in Udyog Nagar, police said.
“The student returned from his home five days ago after a short vacation. He took the extreme step on Monday afternoon...,” said Surendra Singh Degra, station house officer (SHO) of Udhog Nagar police station.
The death by suicide was discovered when the roommate returned to the hostel and repeatedly knocked on the door, which was locked from inside, but did not get any response. Hostel authorities subsequently broke open the door and found the teenager hanging from the fan.
Degra said no suicide note was found in the room and preliminary probe is yet to suggest any stress-related behavioural changes in the student. The body has been sent to the district medical college hospital for an autopsy, he said.
On September 7, 2022, another NEET aspirant had also died by suicide at her hostel in the same area inSikar.
Also Read: How Kota turned into a coaching hub and, then, into an epicentre of student suicides
Sikar houses a large number of JEE and NEET aspirants who come to the town from other districts of Rajasthan after completing their Class X examination and register at residential test-preparation institutes.
Students attend classes only at the test-preparation institutes, which prepare them for their Class XII examination but more importantly for competitive entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE. Some students find the grind stressful especially because they are away from their families.
On August 18, chief minister Ashok Gehlot had expressed concern over the surge in suicides among students preparing for competitive exams in all the districts, particularly in Kota, a coaching hub. He had directed officials to form a committee led by the secretary of Higher Education Bhawani Singh Detha comprising all the stakeholders including coaching institutes to suggest measures to keep a check on such cases.
“There should not be any further rise in such (suicide) cases… time has come for improvement. We cannot see young students committing suicide… even the death of even one kid is unfortunate and is a huge loss for parents,” Gehlot said.
