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On Tuesday, a 16-year-old student who was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) died by suicide in Rajasthan's Kota. Her body was found hanging in the room of her hostel.
The deceased has been identified as Richa Sinha, and she was preparing for NEET. A native of Jharkhand's Ranchi, Richa was currently living in Blaze hostel in Vigyan Nagar of Kota.
The police received information about Sinha's death around 10.30 pm on Tuesday from the private hospital where she was taken, Amar Chand, an assistant sub-inspector at Vigyan Nagar police station told news agency PTI.
Chand added that no suicide note was recovered from her room and the police are investigating the reason behind the suicide.
The body has been sent to MBS Hospital for post-mortem.
Also Read: The Kota story: Are students crippled with the stress, fear of failure?
Also Read: The Kota story: Are students crippled with the stress, fear of failure?
Kota student suicides on rise
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Every year, over two lakh students flock to Kota, hoping to qualify for competitive exams like JEE and NEET, said an India Today report.
This year, authorities reported 25 student suicides related to the pressure of competitive exams in the district, the highest number in any year, it added.
According to Rajasthan police records, the figure was 15 in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015. No student suicides were reported in Kota in 2020 and 2021 since the coaching institutes were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response to a spate of suicides in Kota, the district administration had earlier issued an order mandating the installation of spring-loaded fans in all hostel rooms and paying guest accommodations.
The order, issued by Kota district collector Om Prakash Bunkar, aimed to "provide mental support and security to the students studying and living in these accommodations, and to prevent suicides from increasing coaching students."
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan High Court asked for recommendations on averting suicides by students in coaching institutes of the state, particularly in Kota.
The court also emphasised the necessity of focusing on children's psychological counselling and is considering the introduction of the Rajasthan Coaching Institute (Control and Regulation) Bill 2023 specifically tailored for coaching institutes.
