Two medical aspirants took their lives in Kota Sunday, putting spotlight back on student suicides in this coaching hub
23 students have so far died by suicide in Kota this year, highest since 2015
Sunday a 16-year-old from Maharashtra jumped off the 6th floor of his coaching institute
Another 18-year-old from Bihar hanged himself by the ceiling fan in his room
Both were preparing for NEET to get into medical colleges
Authorities have, meanwhile, told coaching institutes to stop tests for two months
On 17 August, hostels were told to use spring-loaded rods to mount ceiling fans so students couldn’t hang themselves
Kota is India’s test-preparation hub. Business is worth ₹10,000 crores a year. Students from across India come to Kota after Class X to register in residential test-prep institutes
On August 18, alarmed at the suicides CM Ashok Gehlot decided to form a committee to suggest ways to check the menace