- Rajasthan CM ordered to form a committee to provide suggestions to prevent suicide cases among the students and asked to submit the report within 15 days.
- Around 20 students preparing for competitive exams in Kota have died by suicide so far this year.
- The CM highlighted the burden being put on students studying in classes 9 and 10.
- According to NCRB, around 13,000 students died by suicide in 2021. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of suicides with 1,834 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh (1,308), Tamil Nadu (1,246), Karnataka (855), and Odisha (834)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday ordered officials to form a committee to provide suggestions to prevent suicide cases among the students and asked them to submit the report within 15 days. The Chief Minister further directed the officials that the committee should include all stakeholders, including representatives from coaching institutes, parents, and doctors.
Around 20 students preparing for competitive exams in Kota have died by suicide so far this year. In the most recent incident, an 18-year-old student was found hanging at a rented accommodation in the city on Tuesday night.
This is the fourth student suicide reported in Kota this month. Three other coaching students, including two IIT-JEE aspirants and one NEET-UG aspirant, died earlier this month. Last year, at least 15 cases of suicide by students were reported in the coaching hub.
The CM also highlighted the burden being put on students studying in classes 9 and 10.
“Enrolling Class 9 and 10 students in coaching institutes put an extra burden on them since they also have to appear for board exams. You call students of classes 9th and 10th. You are committing a crime in a way. It is as if IIT is God. As soon as students come to coaching, they are enrolled in fake schools. It is also a fault of the parents,” the chief minister said.
Further, referring to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on student suicides, Gehlot said, “According to NCRB, around 13,000 students died by suicide in 2021. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of suicides with 1,834 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh (1,308), Tamil Nadu (1,246), Karnataka (855), and Odisha (834). The problem can be solved with a collective effort.”
The number of such suicides in Rajasthan was 633, which is less than in other states, but the state government is ‘serious and sensitive’ towards the issue, an official statement said.
An unusual solution to combat increasing incidents of suicide in Rajasthan’s entrance exams coaching hub Kota is being mocked by social media users, who are pointing out that mental health, and not changing fans, should be the administration’s focus. News agency ANI reported spring-loaded fans are being installed in all hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations in Kota to reduce suicide cases among students.
The Kota administration has shared concerns over the rising number of student suicides in the district. Following the guidelines issued by the high court over the rising deaths, the district administration had called for psychological evaluation of students in Kota and necessary counseling to be provided to them.
(With inputs from agencies)
