A teenager from Jharkhand, identified as Richa Sinha, tragically ended her own life on Tuesday in Kota, Rajasthan, according to officials who reported the incident on Wednesday.
The local police confirmed to The Indian Express that the deceased girl had been preparing for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) and hailed from Ranchi, Jharkhand. Assistant Sub Inspector Amar Chand from the Vigyan Nagar police station in Kota provided details on Wednesday, stating, “We received information from the hospital that a student had died by suicide at approximately 10:30-11:00 pm yesterday.”
Also read: Two NEET aspirants die by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota, 22 deaths this year
Officials have notified the girl’s family about the incident, and an ongoing investigation is in progress.
With this recent student suicide, the total number of such incidents has reached 24 this year, marking the highest figure in the last eight years.
Also read: Student dies by suicide in Kota hours after father leaves city, 19th case this year
Last month, after two other NEET aspirants died by suicide, the state government implemented a two-month ban on coaching centres conducting exams. Additionally, they introduced various measures, including the installation of spring-loaded fans.
Data provided by the Kota police reveals a concerning trend — there were 17 student suicides in 2015, followed by 16 in 2016, 7 in 2017, 20 in 2018, 8 in 2019, 4 in 2021 (as students had left Kota due to the Covid-19 pandemic), and 15 in 2022.