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The tragic death of a 17-year-old medical aspirant in Kota has once again put the spotlight on the rising number of student suicides in India’s coaching hub. The grieving family of the student, Harshraj Shankar, has urged the Rajasthan government to take urgent steps to prevent such heartbreaking incidents in the future. Kota, known for its rigorous coaching institutes, has reported nine student suicides since January 2025, raising serious concerns over student mental health and institutional responsibility.
Family’s Anguish: ‘We Send Our Children to Study, But Get Their Dead Bodies Back’
Harshraj Shankar, a resident of Bihar’s Nalanda district, was found hanging from an iron rod in his hostel room in Kota’s Jawahar Nagar area on Tuesday. The shocking discovery was made after the hostel caretaker, unable to get a response from repeated knocking, informed the police.
Standing outside the mortuary, the boy’s uncle, Rajiv Yadav, expressed his anger and grief, stating, “It is a slap on the state government’s face that we leave our children in Kota to study, but take back their bodies.” The family, devastated by the loss, has called on Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s government to take immediate action to ensure the safety and well-being of students in Kota’s coaching centers.
A Promising Student’s Life Cut Short
Harshraj had been preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam since April last year at one of Kota’s prestigious coaching institutes. According to his family, he was a bright student with dreams of becoming a doctor. The hostel caretaker, Lokesh Sharma, revealed that Harshraj lived in the hostel with three of his cousins. On Monday night, just hours before his tragic death, the four had cooked and eaten noodles together in his room. Until 9 PM, Harshraj was seen strolling around the hostel premises, showing no visible signs of distress.
A Disturbing Message Left Behind
Although no suicide note was found, the caretaker mentioned that the word “Sorry” was found scribbled on Harshraj’s bookshelf rack. This small yet painful detail adds to the mystery surrounding his final moments, leaving his family with more questions than answers.
A Systemic Failure: Urgent Need for Preventive Measures
Police have registered an FIR under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and launched an investigation. Meanwhile, authorities are once again faced with the grim reality of Kota’s alarming student suicide rate. Six students—five JEE aspirants and one NEET candidate—died by suicide in January alone. The numbers have only worsened over the years, with 17 suicides reported in 2024 and 26 in 2023.
The hostel caretaker, who had undergone ‘Gate Keeper Training’—a program designed by the district administration to help hostel staff identify students in distress—stated that Harshraj had previously installed an iron rod in his room for doing pull-ups. Since the hostel rooms were equipped with “anti-suicide devices” on ceiling fans, he used this iron rod to take his own life.
