Kota Students' Suicides; Doctors Call For Imposing Enrolment Age

The grim spectre of student suicides in the coaching hub of Kota has cast a distressing shadow on the impossible peer pressure, prompting the medical fraternity to suggest age bar on admission to these institutes.

Head of the psychiatry department at Kota Medical College Dr. Bharat Singh Shekhawat has suggested imposing a minimum age requirement for enrolment in Kota's coaching institutions. Talking to NDTV, he observed that students enrolling in coaching institutes at the tender ages of 15 or 16 find themselves lacking the holistic benefits of a regular school environment, including extracurricular activities and the bonds of friendship. "Their rigorous coaching schedules place them under immense stress."

On Sunday, two more young lives were lost within just four hours, marking the grim 23rd suicide this year—unfortunately, an unprecedented record.

The victims were identified as Avishkar Shambaji Kasle, a 17-year-old from Maharashtra, and Adarsh Raj, an 18-year-old from Bihar. Avishkar's desperate act involved leaping from the sixth floor of his coaching institute's edifice, while Adarsh tragically ended his life by hanging himself at his rented dwelling.

The year 2017 saw 10 students succumb to the same tragic fate, followed by a rise to 12 in 2018 and a subsequent dip to nine in 2021.

Dr. Shekhawat highlighted the dire need for a comprehensive transformation in the approach taken by both coaching institutions and parents to avert this alarming epidemic of student fatalities.

Kota, the destination for over 200,000 students annually, as they gear up for fiercely competitive exams like the JEE and NEET, is now grappling with a pressing issue of paramount concern. In response to the recent surge in student suicides, authorities have urged coaching institutes to suspend routine examinations for the forthcoming two months.

In a bid to combat this escalating crisis, innovative measures have been introduced. Spring-loaded fans have been affixed in hostels and paying guest accommodations, while "anti-suicide nets" are being installed on balconies and in common areas of the hostels. This collective endeavour aims to render the premises "suicide-proof," alleviating the potential for such tragic incidents.