16-year-old student dies by suicide in Kota

A 16-year-old student died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota on Tuesday, reported PTI.

The student, who was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, had come to Kota from Jharkhand’s Ranchi.

This is the 24th case of student suicide in Kota this year. The number is the highest since 2015, with seven cases reported in the past month, according to PTI. The Rajasthani city is home to scores of coaching classes for entrance examinations.

According to the police, the student was staying in the Vigyan Nagar area and had locked herself in her room last night.

“No suicide note was found and a preliminary report did not suggest any behavioural changes after speaking to her roommates and parents,” an unidentified police official said, according to Hindustan Times. “The body has been sent to the district medical college hospital for an autopsy and her parents were also informed.”

Earlier this month, two NEET aspirants from Bihar and Maharashtra had died by suicide, hours after appearing for their weekly test at the coaching institute they were attending. Following this, the Kota district administration stayed examinations at coaching centres for two months.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had directed officials to form a committee to suggest measures to prevent suicides of students in Kota.

Gehlot had said that Class 9 and Class 10 students being enrolled in coaching institutes face an additional burden as they also need to appear for board examinations.

Subsequently, the administration in Kota made it compulsory for hostels to install spring-loaded fans in a bid to prevent suicides.

According to the data available with the police, 15 students died by suicide in Kota in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015. Coaching institutes were shut in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, reported the Hindustan Times.