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Another coaching student found dead in hostel room in Kota, third case of suspected suicide in the district this year

Jan 17, 2025 05:54 PM IST

Last year, 20 students preparing for various competitive examinations died by suicide in the district.

An 18-year-old student, who was preparing for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses, was found dead in his hostel room in the Kota district of Rajasthan on Thursday night in the third such incident of suspected suicide in the coaching hub this year, police said on Friday.

Police said the student, an Orissa resident, had come to Kota in April last year to prepare for NEET and was living in a private hostel in Ambedkar Colony.(File/For representation only)
Police said the student, an Orissa resident, had come to Kota in April last year to prepare for NEET and was living in a private hostel in Ambedkar Colony.(File/For representation only)

Last year, 20 students preparing for various competitive examinations died by suicide in the district.

Police said the student, an Orissa resident, had come to Kota in April last year to prepare for NEET and was living in a private hostel in Ambedkar Colony.

“The investigation revealed that the ceiling fan in the hostel room was not equipped with a suicide prevention device, which was mandated by the district administration for student accommodations. Therefore, a letter will be sent to the district administration for further action,” police said.

"After the incident, the city fire department under Kota Municipal Corporation seized the hostel due to the absence of a hanging device and fire fighting system," states a statement released by the Corporation.

The hostel warden and other students told police that the student regularly attended coaching classes.

Additional SP Dileep Saini said a forensic science laboratory (FSL) team was called to examine the spot.

19-yr-old JEE aspirant dies by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota: Police

“His parents have been informed. We will question them about any behavioural changes in the victim over the last few days. We are also probing whether there was any deterioration in his performance or attendance in the coaching centre,” he said.

This is the third such incident of suspected suicide by a student preparing for a competitive exam this year in Kota, which is often considered the coaching capital of India. Last year, at least 20 students died by suicide in Kota, down from 27 a year ago.

On 8 January, two students preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to an undergraduate engineering course were found dead inside their hostels in the Kota district.

Kota is the centre of India’s test-prep business, estimated to be worth 10,000 crore annually, according to officials in the district administration. Students from around the country arrive here in huge numbers after completing Class X, and register in residential test-prep institutes. They also enrol in schools, most of which are largely for purposes of certification.

Student suicides in Kota fell by 50%, says city DM

Students attend classes only in the test-prep institutes, which prepare them for their Class XII examination, but more importantly, entrance examinations such as NEET and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Some students find the grind stressful, especially because they are away from their families.

According to police data, 15 students died by suicide in Kota in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015. No suicides were reported in 2020 and 2021 as coaching institutes were shut or ran in online mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amid a surge in suicide cases in Kota, where students from all over the country arrive in huge numbers after completing Class 10 to prepare for various competitive exams — including JEE and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG for admission to medical courses —, the Kota district administration in August 2023 issued several guidelines for hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations, including installation of spring-loaded fans in rooms “to provide students mental support and security”.

On 28 September 2023, the Rajasthan government implemented a series of measures to prevent student suicides, such as a mandatory screening test, alphabetical sorting of students into sections instead of a ranking-based one, and admission of students in Class IX or higher.

On 16 January 2024, the Union education minister also released specific instructions for operating coaching centres and restricted enrollment above the age of 16. It warned institutes of a penalty of 1,00,000 in case of any violation of the terms and conditions.

JEE aspirant allegedly dies by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota; 20th case this year

Based on the ministry guidelines, the Rajasthan government, in July, also drafted a law, Coaching Center (Control and Regulation) Bill 2024, a two-tier administrative system to monitor the coaching institutes across Rajasthan, mandatory registration of the coaching centres with the district administration, limitation of the coaching study hours to 5 hours in a day, barring the institutes to schedule classes during school hours to avoid the practice of ‘dummy schools’, and applying penalty of 1,00,000 on the institutes if they violate the guidelines are some of the key proposals of the bill.

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