Kota Tragedy: 16-Year-Old JEE Aspirant Dies By Suicide, Raising 2023 Toll To 20

In a tragic incident, a 16-year-old student preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) allegedly died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota district on Friday. The student, originally from Bihar, had moved to Kota in April and was living in a hostel in the Vigyan Nagar area, police reported.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Lokendra Palliwal revealed that the student was found hanging in his hostel room after failing to respond to repeated knocks from friends. The hostel staff broke open the door, but no suicide note was recovered. A forensic science laboratory (FSL) team was called in, and the student’s parents were informed.

The death marks the 20th such case in 2023, adding to the grim tally of student suicides in Kota. Last year, 27 students preparing for competitive exams lost their lives to suicide, according to official data. Police are investigating potential factors, including changes in the victim’s behavior, performance, and attendance at the coaching institute.

Kota is widely recognized as the hub of India’s ₹10,000 crore test-prep industry, drawing thousands of students annually. Teenagers flock to the city after completing Class X to join coaching institutes and residential schools, where they prepare for competitive exams like JEE and NEET. However, the intense pressure to succeed, compounded by living away from family, has led many students to feel overwhelmed.

Historical data underscores the severity of the issue, with 18 suicides reported in 2019, 20 in 2018, and 17 in 2016. No suicides were recorded in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, during which coaching institutes operated online.

Amid the rising suicide toll, the Rajasthan government and district administration have taken measures to address the crisis. In August 2022, all hostels and paying guest accommodations were instructed to install spring-loaded fans to enhance student safety. Additionally, the government implemented mandatory screening tests and reorganized students into alphabetical sections to reduce pressure from rank-based sorting.

Further steps include the proposed Coaching Centre (Control and Regulation) Bill 2024, drafted to enforce stricter controls on coaching institutes. The bill recommends mandatory registration with district authorities, limits study hours to five per day, and prohibits the operation of ‘dummy schools’ during class hours. Violations would attract a penalty of ₹1,00,000.

However, the bill has faced resistance from coaching centers, with at least 25 institutes raising objections in September. They have threatened to challenge the legislation in court if it is passed. Despite the pushback, Arushi Malik, Secretary of the Higher Education Department, emphasized that the bill aligns with union ministry guidelines to balance academic achievement and mental health.

The tragic death of another young aspirant underscores the urgent need for reforms in the test-prep ecosystem, highlighting the growing mental health challenges faced by students in India’s educational hub.

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