Kota: In Rajasthan’s Kota, another student preparing for competitive exams has died by suicide, police said. The incident, which marks the second suicide in January, underscores the escalating issue of exam stress among coaching students.
Niharika Singh, an 18-year-old from Kota’s Borkheda area, was preparing for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and was found hanging at her residence. Despite the family’s prompt response and immediate hospitalisation, she was declared dead upon arrival. The police have initiated an investigation, including a post-mortem examination, to ascertain the circumstances leading to her tragic decision.
The police also recovered a suicide note along with Niharika’s body.
“Mummy, Papa, I can’t do JEE. So I suicide [sic]. I am loser [sic]. I worst daughter [sic]. Sorry Mummy, Papa. This is the last option I have,” read the letter.
According to the police, Niharika lived with her father, a bank employee, and was repeating her 12th class, grappling with the intense pressure of competitive exams. Despite investing seven to eight hours in daily studies, she found herself overwhelmed by the challenges.
This unfortunate incident closely follows the suicide of Mohammed Zaid, another coaching student in Kota. Zaid, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, had been gearing up for the NEET entrance examination.
Last year, the surge in student suicides prompted the Centre to issue guidelines aimed at alleviating the pressure on coaching students. Directives were issued to coaching institutes and district administrations to safeguard students from depression and stress.
However, the effectiveness of these measures remains a subject of debate.
Dr Bharat Singh Shekhawat, head of the psychiatry department at Kota Medical College, told last year that there needs to be a comprehensive overhaul in the approach of both coaching institutes and parents to address the alarming rise in student suicides.
“Students who are admitted to coaching institutes at the age of 15 or 16 are too young. They miss out on the benefits of school, such as extracurricular activities and friendships. They are also under a lot of stress due to the rigorous coaching schedule,” he added.
Over 2 lakh students flock to Kota annually to prepare for exams like JEE and NEET.
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