Dark reality of ‘Kota factory’: 26 student suicides in 10 months, who is the real culprit?

Student suicide is now a part of the dark reality of Kota, Rajasthan, a place idealized by parents and teachers to be the hub of the best coaching institutes and entrance examination preparations, with yet another student taking his own life in the city on Wednesday.

A student preparing for the medical entrance examination NEET died by suicide on Wednesday, officials said. The student was preparing for NEET on his own, and reportedly took his own life due to extreme pressure and mental stress due to studies.

This student’s death marks the 26^th case of student suicide in Kota in 2023, raising an alarm among parents and teachers about the mental health of lakhs of students currently residing and studying in Rajasthan city, famous for its educational institutes.

Rising suicide rate in NEET students

While the majority of the students residing and studying in Kota institutes are preparing for the engineering entrance examination JEE Mains and Advance, there is a sudden spike in the suicide rates of students preparing for the medical entrance exam NEET.

This is likely due to the low number of prestigious medical colleges in the country, much less number of seats than engineering, and the extreme mental pressure and growing competition. The death of Mohammad Tanveer, a 20-year-old student who hanged himself in his room, marks the 4^th NEET student suicide in Kota this year.

Who is the real culprit?

While it is impossible to know the individual circumstances of the deaths of these students in Kota, one thing remains constant – the fear of failure and facing their parents. In majority of the cases, parents ask their children to “never turn back” when it comes to the extreme prep that is required to crack an entrance examination.

The stigma and lack of awareness about mental health in coaching institute staff, teachers, and PG owners has also added to the pressure and deteriorating mental state of many students, who are eventually not able to handle the extreme mental trauma.

However, Kota administration is adamant on bringing about a change in the atmosphere if the coaching hub, roping in staff at hostels, mess, and teachers to monitor the mental health and well-being of students, looking for warning signs.

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