A 16-year-old student died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota on Tuesday. This is the 25th such incident in the city among students preparing for competitive exams.
A 16-year-old student, who was preparing for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) died by suicide by hanging herself in Rajasthan’s Kota.
Twenty-five students have died by suicide in Kota, a coaching hub in Rajasthan, in just eight months this year.
A resident of Ranchi, the student was currently residing at Blaze Hostel in the city. She hanged herself and the body has been kept in the mortuary.
Around two lakh students flock to Kota annually, hoping to qualify for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
This year, authorities reported 25 student suicides related to the pressure of competitive exams in the district, the highest number in any year.
According to Rajasthan police data, the figure 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 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response to a spate of suicides in Kota, the district administration had earlier issued an order mandating the installation of spring-loaded fans in all hostel rooms and paying guest accommodations.