Amid spike in suicide cases among students in Kota, Rajasthan, the district administration has issued a bizarre order- mandating the installation of spring-loaded fans in all hostel rooms and paying guest accommodations to curb such incidents. The respective authorities have already started installing spring-loaded fans in Kota which is a hub of coaching centres and JEE, NEET aspirants.
Raising concern over the increase in suicide cases among students preparing for competitive exams due to mental health crisis, the Kota district collector Om Prakash Bunkar issued an order with an aim to provide mental support and security to the students studying and living in these accommodations and to prevent suicides cases.
“To provide mental support and security to students studying/living in them and to prevent suicides from increasing among coaching students in Kota city, all hostel/PG operators in the state are directed to install a security spring device in the fans at every room,” reads the order.
Over 20 suicide cases reported so far
More than 20 suicide cases of students have been reported from Kota this year while four deaths this month till now. The order comes just days after the suicide of an 18-year-old IIT-JEE aspirant from Gaya in Bihar died by suicide at his PG facility near Mahaveer Nagar in Kota. As per the reports, the district has recorded the highest number of suicide cases this year in comparison to the past eight years data.
Kota: A Competitive test-prep Industry and mental health challenges
Kota is the hub of India's fiercely competitive test-prep sector, attracting over 2,50,000 students every year who are preparing for entrance exams. Students across the country come to Kota with hopes of securing a place in prestigious engineering or medical colleges.
The number of suicide cases in the city has alarmingly increased this year, with most of them involving students preparing for the JEE or NEET exams. According to the reports, the significant contributing factors include the stress of studying, a fear of failing, and fierce competition in the coaching industry. According to a survey conducted by the mental health start-up Lissun, 4 out of 10 students in Kota are dealing with depression.
