Kota Rajasthan, has witnessed yet another tragic incident involving a student preparing for competitive exams, highlighting the pressing issue of exam-related stress among coaching students. This marks the second suicide in January, underscoring the urgency of addressing this growing concern.
The victim, Niharika Singh, hailing from Kota’s Borkheda area, was diligently preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) when she was discovered hanging at her residence. Despite her family’s swift response and immediate hospitalization, she was declared deceased upon arrival. The police have launched an investigation, including a post-mortem examination, to understand the circumstances leading to this devastating decision.
A suicide note was also recovered alongside Niharika’s body. In the note, she expressed her inability to cope with the pressures of the JEE and her profound sense of inadequacy, apologizing to her parents for her decision.
According to authorities, Niharika resided with her father, who works in a bank, and was repeating her 12th-grade studies while grappling with the immense stress associated with competitive exams. Despite dedicating seven to eight hours to daily studies, she felt overwhelmed by the challenges she faced.
This tragic incident closely follows the suicide of Mohammed Zaid, another coaching student in Kota. Zaid, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, had been preparing for the NEET entrance examination.
Last year, a surge in student suicides prompted the central government to issue guidelines aimed at alleviating the pressure on coaching students.
These directives were directed towards coaching institutes and district administrations to help safeguard students from depression and stress. However, the effectiveness of these measures remains a subject of debate.
Dr. Bharat Singh Shekhawat, the head of the psychiatry department at Kota Medical College, emphasized the need for a comprehensive overhaul in the approach of both coaching institutes and parents to address the alarming rise in student suicides. He pointed out that students admitted to coaching institutes at a young age often miss out on the benefits of a regular school environment, including extracurricular activities and friendships, leading to heightened stress levels due to the demanding coaching schedules.
Annually, over 2 lakh students flock to Kota to prepare for exams like JEE and NEET, making it imperative to find effective solutions to mitigate the mental health challenges they face.