A heart-wrenching incident happened in Rajasthans Kota, a 16-year-old National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) hanged herself to death, said officials.16-year-old student hangs herself to death in Rajasthans KotaReportedly, over 25 students have died by suicide in Kota, a coaching centre hub in the state, in just eight months this year.Briefing about this suicide case, Devesh Bhardwaj, SHO, Vigyan Nagar police station of the city said, “A coaching student, preparing for NEET, hanged herself in Kota. She was a resident of Ranchi, Jharkhand.”Rajasthan | A coaching student, preparing for NEET, hanged herself in Kota. She was a resident of Ranchi, Jharkhand, Devesh Bhardwaj, SHO, Vigyan Nagar police station, Kota city says.— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) September 13, 2023 The deceased was residing at Blaze Hostel in the city. Her body shifted to the mortuary, said an official. Notably, nearly two lakh students across the nation flock to Kota annually, hoping to quality Indias top entrance exams like NEET am Joint Entrance Exam (JEE).25 students committed suicide in 2023, highest so farHowever, authorities reported 25 student suicides related to the pressure of competitive exams in the district just in 2023, the highest number in any year.As per a Rajasthan Police survey, the death toll was 15 in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015. No student suicide was reported in Kota in 2020 and 2021 for the coaching institutes were shut amid the COVID-19 pandemic.How to combat suicide cases in KotaEarlier, the district administration issued an order mandating the installation of spring-loaded fans in all hostel rooms and paying guest accommodations. This order directed by district collector Om Prakash Bunkar aims to provide mental provide 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, especially in Kota.The court also stressed the necessity of focusing on the psychological counselling of children and is considering the introduction of the Rajasthan Coaching Institute (Control and Regulation) Bill 2023 specifically tailored for coaching institutes.
