Kota, a part of erstwhile Bundi kingdom of Rajasthan, with a population of about 1.2 million, is perched on the banks of Chambal River. It ranks among the 53 most populous urban agglomeration of India. Kota became a hub for IIT coaching in 1985. It gained international fame in 1986 when Sanjeev Arora topped the IIT entrance examination. Kota created a sensation when the Bansal Coaching Institute shattered the barrier with 13 of its students cracking the IIT entrance examination in 1990. Since then, Kota has witnessed rapid proliferation of coaching institutes. As of now, it boasts over 40 major institutes offering coaching for wide range of examinations such as IIT, JEE, AIEEE, CAT, CA, CS etc. Each year, around two lack students visit or reside in Kota to prepare for various entrance examinations. These students stay in about 4000 student hostels and over 40,000 paying guest houses of varying standards The annual turnover of coaching institutes is about 1500 crore rupees, overshadowing all other economic activities in the region. The nicknames like - ‘Kota Educational Industry’, ‘Coaching Capital of India’, ‘Kota Factory’ and ‘New Kashi of Education’, etc. owe their origin to the relentless efforts of these coaching institutes. Given the consistent results over the years, people from all walks of life -urban and rural, high, middle and even low-income groups, pool their resources to send their children to Kota, hoping that they will excel in JEE, IIT, etc. While there are good coaching institutes elsewhere in the country, none can match the sheer volume of options Kota offers, all of them vying to excel in coaching and yield outstanding results. Kota has carved a niche for itself through its track record, attracting students from all corners.

The entire atmosphere in Kota is study-centric. Since 2000 the city has emerged as a premier coaching destination, leading to an economic boom, a development welcomed by the local populace and the state government. However, the growth has not been without its problems.

Suicides by students in Kota have become an alarming trend. The number of students committing suicide in Kota, year after year, has sent shock waves across the country. Unless effective measures are put in place on a war footing, Kota risks earning the dubious distinction of being the ‘suicide capital’ of India. As per the reports of local police, the yearly figures for the last ten years are as follows:

• 2014 - 45, 
• 2015 - 18, 
•  2016 - 16, 
•  2017 - 7, 
•  2018 - 20, 
•  2019 – 08, 
•  2020 – 04, 
•  2021 – 00, 
• 2022 - 15, 
•  2023 (Up until mid-Oct.) - 26

Reasons: Various studies have, by and large, attributed the suicides to the following factors

Major ones-

• The private coaching institutes have become overly commercialized. The primary focus of both, institutes and teachers, has only been on business growth. A study by the European Academic Research found that the entrance tests conducted by the institutes were often just a formality. There was little to no filtration, leading to every aspirant securing admission in Kota, as the primary objective of these institutes was financial gain. Until recently, most institutes were largely indifferent to the mental health, aptitude, and coping abilities of their students amidst the rigorous study schedules. In response to public outcry and intervention by the High Court of Rajasthan, some institutes began organizing counseling sessions, parent-teacher meetings, sessions on alternate career options, as well as motivational and psychological counseling, however, the positive impact is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, it is a welcome initiative and we hope and wish that all institutes and other stakeholders will follow suit.
  
  
• It is a hard reality that not all students find it easy to cope with the demanding daily study regimen of 12-14 hours. Some students have no interest in the subject they have chosen, either due to persistent pressure of parents or following in the footsteps of a successful friend or a relative from previous batches. Some are simply not accustomed to such an intense level of hard work. Rigorous test preparation and long study hours can be nerve-racking. The institutes seldom conduct any assessment regarding the impact of such a taxing and monotonous study schedule on the health of students. The students falling in these categories gradually lose interest in their studies and those unable to confide in their parents may tragically resort to taking their own life.
  
  
• Rising aspirations of lower and middle-class parents- Some of the studies conducted after the spate of suicides discovered that there has been conflict between the expectations of parents and students in many cases. Overambitious parents, envisioning the fulfillment of their own dreams through their children, often neglect other aspects, focusing solely on financing coaching expenses. In fact, health issue did not even register for them as they were so fixated on the idea that with coaching in a reputed institute in Kota, their child would surely make it to premier engineering or medical institute. Students, not wanting to disappoint their parents, often kept their struggles hidden. This, lack of communication between students and parents regarding their progress in coaching gradually led to deep-rooted depression among vulnerable students.
  
  
• Hostels and guest houses have, in fact, become hotspots for suicides. A student is unlikely to attempt suicide in coaching institutes due to lack of privacy. The approach of private hostels and paying guest houses is absolutely impersonal. Since their approach is also to make money, they are not willing to incur any expenditure on health or recreation-related matters and also because these items are not incorporated in the list of obligations on their part. They even neglect to provide facilities for yoga or indoor games, although these facilities do not cost them big fortune. After the issue of suicides by students in Kota aroused outcry all over the country, the district collector held a meeting with the representatives from coaching institutes and hostel associations and decided that all of them will take steps for psychological support and there will be compulsory half day break for recreational activities every week. Much though the institutes resisted the proposition, yet it was also decided that in case a student failed, the institute would refund the fee. This may prove to be a game-changing decision for the parents who have modest means, but the implementation is yet to be seen.
  
  
• State apathy is also a significant factor. Each time when a young aspirant loses his/ her life, barrage of lose statements, blaming one another and offering irresponsible suggestions are shot by the politicians in Rajasthan. Then the matter becomes dormant to these politicians till such time a new case of suicide occurs. Following an order issued by the Rajasthan High Court in Sept. 2022, directing the state Govt. to issue guidelines for coaching institutes and provide psychological support to students, the Govt. did issue the guidelines promptly in Nov.2022 and also gave an assurance to enact appropriate law for this purpose. However, as of now the law is still pending and, even the guidelines have not been implemented in letter and spirit. As a matter of fact, nothing has changed on ground even after a lapse of one year and the year 2023 has witnessed as many as 26 suicides so far. This reflects a concerning lack of initiative on the part of state Govt. It is indeed a sad commentary on the attitude of state Govt. that even after the High Court order no concrete steps have been put in place to prevent unnatural loss of lives of young people. At the end, the buck stops at local administration. Be that as it may, the local administration cannot take refuge under the cut-and-dry ploy that political bosses do not allow them to work freely and independently.

Minor reasons - 

• In some cases, the students who were worn down by the mental fatigue, or those who suffered from the complex of low self-esteem or the ones who were overstressed by home-sickness, etc. took the extreme step to end their lives.

In a nutshell, all studies, institutional or individual, clearly seem to agree on one point that Kota represents a glaring example of collective failure on the part of all stakeholders. The coaching institutes failed to measure the impact of cumbersome study schedules on the mental health of their students; the hostels/ guest houses failed to monitor their behavioral patterns; parents failed either by imposing their own wishes or not being able to assess the ability and capability of their wards and the local administration which was all gaga over the success story of Kota, failed to see under the belly and allowed everyone free hand.

How to stem the worrisome trend?

1. Mental health support and guidance: Coaching institutes must do mental health screening before admitting a student and also during the course of coaching periodically. The managers of hostels/ guest houses, as a part of their solemn duty, must immediately report to the parents if they observe some kind of abnormal behavior on the part of a student. The parents must also pay heed to this aspect and consult a psychologist if their child shows any signs of waning interest in studies or declining self-esteem.
2. Helplines: Many states have initiated helplines for the prevention of suicides by students soon after the announcement of entrance- examinations. In Kota, besides counseling by the Police, a voluntary organization- ‘Hope Society’ managed by Dr M L Agrawal has been doing a commendable job despite the fact that some of the institutes do not like its interference. Kota needs to further strengthen these helplines and make them more accessible and student-friendly.
3. Parental mindset: Parents need to abandon conventional thinking and should refrain from imposing their wishes on their children, rather they should respect the decision of their ward if it is found to be logical and convincing. Additionally, during the coaching, if they find a lack of interest in studies or depressive tendencies, they should seek professional help.
4. District administration’s role: Given the enormity of the profession of coaching and its impact on the economy and reputation of Kota, the district collector should depute an officer of the level of ADM exclusively to ensure strict compliance of guidelines and the law, to be passed, by the state, by coaching institutes and hostels/guest houses. The district administration should also constitute a couple of committees consisting of eminent educationists, psychologists,  and enlightened civil society members who are willing to offer their services voluntarily. These committees should be allowed access to the coaching institutes as well as hostels/guest houses so that they may see their work. These committees should submit their report, containing their observations, to the district collector who should take appropriate follow-up action.
5. Responsibility of hostels and guest houses: These establishments bear greater responsibility to prevent the suicides because in the majority of cases, the mode of committing suicides has been by hanging. Of late, some of the hostels have replaced the traditional fans by spring-fitted ones. But this alone is not enough. The hostels should tell their employees to closely observe the behaviour of the inmates and the conditions of their rooms. Any unusual thing must be reported to the manager who in turn should relay it to the parents promptly. The hostels should also provide facilities for yoga and indoor games, no matter whether or not the residents utilize them.

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Author’s Profile:

Pratap Singh was born in Dholpur town of Rajasthan (India). He is a law graduate with a diploma in International Trade Laws. He worked in the two premier Para Military Organisations of Central Govt.-CRPF and CISF, in various capacities for about 38 years, the second half of which was exclusively devoted to legal profession. While working at higher positions in the second half, his job entailed - advising the Directors General of CRPF and CISF on legal matters of diverse nature. He also authored a few papers on Police and Law enforcement in India and participated in many seminars and workshops on ‘Multiple legal Aspects of Policing in India’. Worked in the field for a pretty long time and handled delicate and complex law & order situations and highly volatile unlawful assemblies, carried out anti-insurgency operations in North-Eastern States and anti-terrorist operations in Punjab and J&K.

In his post- retirement span, while working as a Country Head of an international charity organization, he devoted his quality time in the service of widows, for over five years.

He handled legal cases relating to Company Laws, Factory and Labour Laws, and Industry & MSME Laws while working as MD in AVS Int. Pvt. Ltd, Agra.

He was awarded Police Medal for Meritorious Service, President’s Police medal for Distinguished Service and Home Ministry’s Shield for his outstanding contribution to the public service.