Student Dies By Suicide In Kota, Not Due To Study Stress, Say Cops 

A student, preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination, died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota, officials said on Monday. The student, Ankush Meena, was studying at a coaching institute in the area.

However, officials said that the reason behind his death was not due to study stress. Initial investigation revealed that some personal reasons led him to such a drastic step.

The victim was a resident of Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district. He had come to Kota to prepare for the examination.

The victim’s body has been sent for post-mortem and further investigation is underway, officials said.

A spate of student suicides has always haunted ‘coaching hubs’ like Kota and has been a contentious topic for the government, particularly with opposition parties eager to pounce.

Last month alone, at least six incidents of students dying by suicide in Kota came to light. On January 21, a student from Assam’s Nagaon died by suicide. Hours before that, the body of a young woman from Ahmedabad in Gujarat who had travelled to Kota to study for the NEET exams, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her hostel room in the Jawahar Nagar neighbourhood.

Following these, Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar claimed “love affairs” were one reason students were killing themselves. He also called on parents to not pressure their children, or wards, into pursuing degrees and careers they did not want to.

Last year, there were reports of 17 such deaths in Kota, while in 2023, at least 23 students died by suicide in the city.