An 18-year-old girl ended her life by suicide in Rajasthan’s coaching hub Kota on Monday. The victim has been identified as Niharika Singh, who was studying at Kota. She was preparing for JEE exams. She was found hanging inside her room at her residence. Doctors declared her dead on arrival at the nearby hospital. A suicide note has been recovered from the teen’s room. The police have launched an investigation into the case. This is the second suicide that has taken place in Kota this year.
Police also found a suicide note along Niharika’s body in which Niharika had apologized to her parents and that she could not give JEE hinting at the pressure of a competitive exam.
Niharika’s father is a bank employee with whom she used to live. She was repeating her 12th class, battling with the extreme pressure of exams. She would invest seven to eight hours every day in her preparations and was overwhelmed by the challenges.
Over two lakh students migrate to Kota each year to undergo preparation for competitive exams, including the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college admissions.
The 26 suicides recorded in Kota for the year 2023, marked the highest number in a calendar year since 2015. In 2022, fifteen aspirants of competitive exams died by suicide, with 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015.
In response to a surge in student suicides last year, the Centre issued guidelines to ease pressure on coaching students. Educators also advocate for a greater emphasis on the mental well-being of students, promoting a holistic approach to learning and fostering an environment where students feel emotionally supported and empowered.
While directives aimed at coaching institutes and district administrations were implemented to address depression and stress, their effectiveness remains a topic of debate.