In a groundbreaking initiative to address the rising suicide rates among students, Kota police have collaborated with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to identify and support students exhibiting suicidal tendencies on social media. This partnership has already shown promise, with the police successfully intervening to prevent a suicide attempt by a student from Jhunjhunu, a district in Rajasthan.
Kota, known as a major coaching hub where students from across India come to prepare for competitive exams, has witnessed a worrying increase in student suicides. This year alone, nine students have taken their own lives, with the most recent case occurring on April 30. In 2023, the city recorded 26 student suicides, the highest annual count to date.
The collaboration with Meta, initiated a week ago, involves real-time monitoring of social media activity for signs of suicidal thoughts. Meta provides this critical information not only to the Kota police but also to authorities across Rajasthan. A dedicated team at the Abhay Command Centre in Kota works around the clock in eight-hour shifts to monitor red-flag tags indicating suicidal tendencies. These alerts enable timely intervention by the respective area police.
Kota City SP Amrita Duhan spearheaded the initiative after recognizing that many students who committed suicide had previously expressed distress on social media. By partnering with Meta, SP Duhan aims to leverage early warnings to prevent such tragedies. Meta agreed to share relevant data but indicated they could not limit their monitoring to Kota alone, offering instead to provide information from across the state. With approval from the DGP Police Headquarters in Jaipur, Kota police took on the responsibility for the entire state of Rajasthan.
Under this system, if a student in Kota posts content related to suicide or self-harm, Meta’s system will flag it with a red alert. The student’s account information will be shared with Kota police for immediate action. If the student is outside Kota, the alert will be forwarded to the Abhay Command Centre or the appropriate district control room for a prompt response.
While no red-flag tags have been reported in Kota since the launch of this initiative, the police have already prevented a potential suicide by a student from Jhunjhunu. The current focus is on ensuring the initiative’s success in Kota, with plans to expand its scope to include the Police Headquarters in Jaipur.
This collaboration between the Kota police and Meta represents a significant step in utilizing technology and social media monitoring to safeguard the mental health and well-being of students, providing a crucial lifeline for those in distress.