Stress On Students Claim Another Life! JEE Aspirant Commits Suicide In Kota, 17th Death This Year

A 16-year-old student from Bihar, preparing for the IIT JEE, was found dead in Kota, Rajasthan. The boy was discovered hanging from a ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday. Police suspect suicide, but no note was found. Investigations are ongoing to determine why he took this step. This marks the 17th student suicide in Kota this year, following 26 cases last year.

The tragic incident occurred in a hostel room within the Vigyan Nagar police station area of Kota city. Mukesh Meena, Circle Inspector at Vigyan Nagar police station, informed the media that the deceased was a class 11 student from Vaishali district, Bihar.

Anti-Hanging Devices Fail to Prevent Tragedy

Despite the installation of anti-hanging devices in rooms, the boy managed to hang himself from a ceiling fan. In response to rising student suicides last year, authorities mandated spring-loaded fans in all hostels and PG accommodations.

Efforts by both the Kota district administration and Rajasthan government have been unable to curb these tragedies. Last September, measures were introduced such as mandatory screening tests and alphabetical sorting of students instead of ranking-based sorting. Admission is now restricted to students above class 9.

Government Interventions and Guidelines

The central government has also addressed this issue. In January, the Union education minister issued guidelines for coaching centres. These include limiting enrolment to students over 16 years old and imposing a Rs 1 lakh fine for violations.

This ongoing crisis highlights the pressure faced by students in Kota's coaching hub. Despite various interventions aimed at reducing stress and preventing suicides, incidents continue to occur at an alarming rate.