Student from Uttar Pradesh found dead in Rajasthan’s coaching hub Kota

Students from around the country arrive in numbers after completing class X and register in Kota’s residential institutes

A 17-year-old student from Uttar Pradesh was on Thursday found hanging in his room in Rajasthan’s coaching hub Kota, the latest in a series of such cases.

Police said no note has been recovered from the student’s room so far.

Jawaharlal, a local police officer, said the student came to Kota two years ago and was pursuing coaching for engineering entrance tests. He added the exact reason behind the death is yet to be ascertained and investigations are underway. Jawaharlal said the student’s body was shifted to a local hospital for post-mortem examination.

Police said no note has been recovered from the student’s room so far. They added the post-mortem will be conducted after his family arrives in Kota. Investigators were gathering information from the student’s friends and acquaintances to understand the circumstances leading to the incident.

Kota is the hub of India’s test preparation business, estimated to be worth ₹10,000 crore annually. Students from around the country arrive here in numbers after completing class X and register in residential institutes, besides enrolling in schools, largely for certification purposes.

According to police data, 15 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 or ran in online mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A series of suicides have been reported since.