17-Year-Old JEE Aspirant Allegedly Dies By Suicide In Kota; 11th Death This Year (representative image)
A 17-year-old student preparing for the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) competitive exam allegedly died by suicide in his room in Rajasthan’s Kota, said the police on Sunday. No suicide note has been recovered from his place.
Identified as Ayush Jaiswal, a resident of Motihari in Bihar, the boy was staying at a paying guest house in Mahaveer Nagar’s Samrat Chowk for over two years to prepare for the exam. The body has reportedly been sent for an autopsy.
Read Also: IAS Couple’s Daughter Commits Suicide, Police Discover Note
According to the police officials, the student’s friends informed the paying guest house owner after the boy did not step out of his room until Saturday night. They also informed the police, who reached the spot, broke the door, and found the student hanging. The body was sent to New Medical College Hospital, where he was declared dead, the Mahaveer Nagar station house officer (SHO) said. As per the Hindustan Times, police officials said that the student had made a suicide attempt previously as well.
The incident has raised the number of student suicides in Kota to 11 this year so far.
Thousands of students from across the country swarm to Rajasthan’s Kota district to prepare for admission to the renowned IITs. Estimated to be worth Rs 10,000 crore annually, as per Hindustan Times, the city is the hub for all aspirants with dreams of cracking the highly competitive engineering and medical entrance exams. “Of the 1 million students who appear for the JEE exam, only 10,000 qualify for the 23 IITs. Of the 2 million who sit for the NEET exam, only 140,000 bag a seat at a medical college,” stated The Diplomat.
Naturally, the pressure is high, with coaching centres having tough and strenuous schedules. With each passing year, the “coaching capital” of India becomes more and more synonymous with student suicides.
In 2023, the death toll reached 27, the highest ever. In 2022, 15 students committed suicide in Kota.
Read Also: Scrapping NEET Is Important To Avoid Student Suicides: DMK
After a spike in suicides in August 2023, the district administration ordered all ceiling fans in hostels and PG accommodations to install spring-loaded fans, or “suicide-proofing” fans, in rooms as a means to “provide mental support and security.” The guidelines, however, do not apply to apartments.
In January of this year, the Union Ministry of Education issued guidelines for all states to regulate private coaching centres and their functioning. Institutes have been warned not to issue misleading advertisements or enrol students below the age of 16. Despite the preventive measures, student suicides in Kota continue.
(This news story may contain content related to suicide and suicidal behaviour. Such topics can be sensitive and may trigger emotional responses. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviours, we urge you to seek help immediately. Contact your local mental health crisis hotline, a mental health professional, or a trusted person in your life.
You may call 14416 or 1-8008914416 for the Tele MANAS service, a comprehensive mental health care service by the Government of India.)
