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Rajasthan: 18-year-old student dies by suicide in Kota, 2nd case this month
According to the police, the student lived at her family home and was to take her JEE test soon.
An 18-year-old student preparing for JEE was found dead in Kota on Monday in what is suspected to be the latest in a spate of suicides in Rajasthan’s coaching hub, PTI reported.
This is the second such case in Kota in less than a week. Earlier, a 19-year-old student from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad preparing for the all-India pre-medical entrance test was found dead in his hotel room in the city on January 23.
The number of suicides last year was the highest since 2015 in Kota when the administration first began compiling records of such deaths.
According to the police, the student lived at her family home and was to take her JEE test soon. A note recovered from her room suggests that she was stressed due to her studies.
Circle officer DSP Dharmveer Singh said that the student was the eldest of three sisters. Her father is a security guard at a private bank in Kota, he said, according to PTI.
Also Read | Kota suicides: District collector to have weekly dinner with coaching students
The incident comes on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his annual interaction with students preparing for their school board exams.
Fifteen students died by suicide in Kota in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015. No suicides were reported in 2020 and 2021 as coaching institutes were shut down or switched to online mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, a committee formed to suggest preventive measures following the spate of suicides last year directed test preparation institutes to conduct fun activities to de-stress students, upload motivational videos on the online platform, and consider reducing syllabus to reduce pressure.
Kota test-prep business is estimated to be worth ₹10,000 crores annually. Students from around the country arrive in Kota after completing Class 10 to join test-prep institutes.
On January 16, the Union education ministry released specific instructions for the functioning of coaching centres and restricted enrollment above the age of 16. It warned of a penalty of ₹1,00,000 for institutes in case of any violation of the terms and conditions.
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