Rajasthan: Cops, Coaching Centres Blame Parents For Pressuring Kids As Kota Another Suicide

A 16-year-old girl from Ranchi, Jharkhand, allegedly hanged herself in her hostel room less than six months after moving to Kota to prepare for the medical entrance exam NEET, news agency PTI reported citing officials. According to official figures, Richa Sinha became the 23rd student who committed suicide in Kota this year, the highest ever for the country’s coaching hub. Last year, the figure was 15.

“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 the Vigyan Nagar police station, was quoted by PTI as saying. 

Chand also stated that no suicide note was found in her room and that the police were investigating the alleged suicide. The body has been transported to MBS Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Hostel warden Archana Rajawat said the student complained about being unwell last night and was given medicines. “Earlier, there were no signs of stress. She used to gel well with her friends, and eat meals on time,” she told PTI. 

Every year, over 2.5 lakh students visit Kota to prepare for competitive exams such as the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for engineering and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college admission.

This year has seen the most student suicides (23 so far), with two taking their own lives within a few hours of each other on August 27.

According to those who work there, packed schedules, cutthroat competition, constant pressure to do better, the burden of parents’ expectations, and homesickness are among the common struggles of the students, the report said.  

‘No Going Back’: Police, Coaching Blames Parents For Student Suicides In ‘Kota Factory’

According to a PTI report, one of the major reasons for students’ poor mental health in this coaching hub, which often leads to them taking extreme measures, is “parents telling them there is no going back,” according to police and district officials attempting preventive measures as record student suicides rock “Kota factory”.

Top coaching institutes also claim that the majority of parents refuse to accept feedback and want their children to continue studying for engineering and medical entrance exams regardless, the report said. 

From reaching out to parents about possible signs of depression in their child, no aptitude for a specific subject or career, inability to live away from home, police and coaching institutes say their communications with parents about such issues are frequently met with resistance, and the majority of them refuse to accept these.

“During our interactions with the students, we came across a student who appeared to be depressed. I made the decision to contact his father. His response was, ‘ye to auron ko depress kar de, aisa kuch nai hai’ (he can depress others, but nothing else). The father refused to acknowledge that there is a problem that requires his attention or intervention,” said Kota ASP Chandrasheel Thakur to PTI.

With such incidents at an all-time high, the administration has taken a number of steps, including mandating the installation of an anti-hanging device in fans and ordering coaching institutes not to take any exams for two months.

The anti-hanging device works as follows: If an object weighing more than 20 kg is hung from the fan, the spring attached to it expands, making suicide by this method impossible. A siren sounds at the same time, as per the report. 

“Anti-suicide nets” are also being installed in the balconies and lobbies of Kota hostels to keep students from taking extreme measures.

According to the report, hostel owners say such measures to make their establishments “suicide proof” are critical to avoiding tragic incidents.