 "suicide")
Amid the rising student suicides in Rajasthan's Kota, the district administration of the country's coaching hub has asked all hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations to install spring-loaded fans in all rooms.
According to a report by The Hindustan Times (HT), the authorities said that it is being done "to provide students mental support and security".
The order, as quoted in the report, said, "To provide mental support and security to the students studying/living in them and to prevent suicides from increasing among coaching students in Kota city, all hostel/PG operators in the state are directed to install a security spring device in the fans at every room, as discussed in Saturday's meeting."
The authorities have also urged owners of coaching institutes, hostels and PGs to abide by an order issued in December 2022. The order mandated a weekly off for students, a maximum class strength of 80, as well as mandatory psychological evaluations for students and teachers.
They further said that the hostels and PGs that don't comply with the order will be "seized and the necessary action taken against the owners."
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Kota student suicide: 21 suicides so far in 2023
On August 16, an 18-year-old IIT-JEE aspirant from Bihar's Gaya allegedly hanged himself in his PG room in Kota in the fourth such case of suspected suicide by a coaching student this month. It was the 21st such case in 2023.
The deceased teen, identified as Valmiki Prasad, had reportedly been taking coaching for the IIT-JEE entrance exam at a coaching institute since the last academic session and was living in a PG room in the Mahaveer Nagar area.
Three other coaching students, including two IIT-JEE aspirants and one NEET-UG aspirant, have earlier this month also died in suspected suicide cases in Kota, taking the toll of such cases this year since January 21.
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 suicide took place in 2020 and 2021.
Kota news: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot expresses concern
Last week, while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the state-level "Yuva Mahapanchayat" in Jaipur, chief minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his concern over increasing Kota student suicide cases.
Gehlot also urged parents not to put pressure on their children for a particular stream or a college.
"It is a matter of concern that 20 students committed suicide in the last eight months in Kota. I myself wanted to become a doctor in my childhood, used to study till 2-3 in the night, but did not succeed. However, I did not lose courage. I changed my path, became a social worker, entered politics and today I am in front of you," he said.
The 21st death by suicide came in the week following Gehlot's speech.
Student suicide: BJP MP asks Centre to take 'proactive measures'
On August 8, Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Sushil Kumar Modi had also expressed concern over increasing cases of suicides among students.
He also requested the Central government to take a proactive initiative to enhance mental health support within coaching institutes, schools, and universities.
In a special mention about the issue, Modi had told the Rajya Sabha that there have been 10,732 suicide cases of students below the age of 18 years in 2021 only, showing a growth of 4.5 per cent from 2020.
"In 2021, there have been 10,732 suicide cases of students below the age of 18 years. It depicted an increase of 4.5 per cent from the previous year. In the last five years, 75 students have committed suicide at IIT, IIM, AIIMS, and other top premier institutions. These cases have been increasing at a concerning rate," Sushil Modi told the Upper House.
"In Kota this year, police have reported more than 15 suicides. The high number of suicides reflects the severe mental and physical stress the students go through to secure college admissions in premier universities. The students face severe academic stress and develop mental health issues because of the intensive competition in the medical and engineering examinations," he added.
(With agency inputs)
