Introduction

Recently, the news of two students committing suicide in Kota city of Rajasthan, famous for coaching institutes related to engineering and medical exams, especially the Joint Engineering Exam (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The total tally of students committing suicide this year in Kota has risen to 23 which is the highest so far since the year 2015. This coaching hub of North India attracts over two lakhs of students annually. There are around 10 coaching centers, of which 7 are big coaching institutes. There are 4,000 hostels and 40,000 PGs, and 4,000 teachers are on the payroll of these institutes. Students from all over the country come to this place in the hope of reaching their cherished career goals. In a larger perspective, the 2021 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report said that 864 people below 18 years of age died by suicide in 2021 due to 'failure in examinations' which amounts to one percent of total suicides in the country. Further, according to the statement given in the Parliament this year by the Union Ministry of Education, 61 students suicides were recorded across top educational institutes like IITs, NITs, and IIMs since 2018, out of which half were in the most sought-after IITs. This seemingly irreversible trend is disturbing not because of numbers but because of the magnitude of the problem. Students of today are the future citizens of the country capable of contributing towards the well-being of the society and the country. Even a single loss of life of a student should cause concern. This is a national loss.

An Analysis of the Possible Causes

Home Days

This is a common phenomenon in almost every household that the children as students are subjected to so much pressure to shine in studies. So much so, that the other activities of life such as sports, oratory, theatre, dancing, etc. are pushed to the background. This proves to be a stumbling block in the overall development of the child student. Moreover, the only criterion for judging the academic performance of the child students becomes the marks and percentage obtained in the exams. Thus, the pressure starts to mount from the beginning on the students. In most cases, parents seek the assistance of coaching institutes to help their progeny get better results. Every parent wants his son or daughter to become an engineer doctor or manager in any big firm or the coveted civil servant police officer or any post in the allied services or the like. For that person, an excellent educational career is the first requirement. And the best scale is the percentage of marks achieved in respective exams. Hardly a parent tries to know the aptitude of his progeny. Whether he or she is mentally adaptable to any particular course or service has never been a concern to any parent. As a parent, one only wishes to see his progeny placed in the higher echelons of society. He is often guided by peer pressure himself. If any boy or girl in the vicinity of the relationship has got success in any high-sounding exam, it leaves a benchmark for others to follow. In the process, a student becomes a pliant tool in the fruition of his parents ' dreams. Consequently, he is forced to choose those professions for which he has the least liking. Before that, he has to undergo special coaching sessions for that particular exam. In this way, the childhood pressure manifolds. This is happening in the times when the psychological tools are available to assess the qualitative aptitude of the students signifying their mental adaptability towards any particular trade or profession. But the average parents don't go for it. For them, their social prestige is more important than other things.

At Coaching Institutes

Admission into the coaching institutes is generally taken through an open exam conducted by the institute itself. However, direct admissions on the basis of capitation fees are not uncommon. Many of these institutes provide hostels for boarding and lodging purposes. The environment inside these cluttered dwelling houses looks grim and unhealthy. Students come from different places, and they straightaway indulge themselves in serious studies. Consequently, there is hardly any time for them for social interaction or entertainment. Here, the new student finds it hard to regain his lost moorings. There remains nobody to share his mental stress or problems. This is a far cry from the home where everyone was ready to share their feelings. To further add to his existing woes comes his performance in the weekly tests which start before the settlement of students in the new environment. Gradually, these conditions lead to depression, lagging behind in studies, relationship problems, and homesickness. These are undeniably mental health issues that remain generally unresolved. Of late, the trend of appointing counselors has started but their number is very meagre. According to the officials of the Allen Career Institute in Kota, one of the biggest coaching institutes there, 72 counselors were on the roll for over 1.25 lakh students. As per the Kota Police's Students' Cell, big coaching centers claim to have one counselor per 1500 students. Apparently, this figure is not sufficient given the total strength of over two lakh students in Kota. Moreover, it is to be seen whether all the coaching institutes have made similar appointments of counselors.

Ways Ahead

In order to bring a change in the prevailing situation, the following courses are open-

The parents should try to know exactly the mental strength and liking of their progeny regarding the choice of his career. This s should be done at the High School level. Afterward, the course of his or her education should be in that direction only. This will lessen the mental pressure on the student. For this, the help of professionals like clinical psychologists may be taken.

The marks obtained by the students in any class are not a reflection of his intellectual prowess. Some of them get poor or average marks in the school exams but succeed in later life in an outstanding manner. Every parent needs to understand this fully.

Attending coaching classes or coaching institutes has become a new normal in our society. Rather, it has become a status symbol. Sending someone to coaching classes indicates the negation of the role of regular classes in the school or the college. If the student is lagging behind in any subject, first this fact should be brought to the notice of the class teacher or the subject teacher. Even if the problem is not fully solved, the help of an outside teacher can be sought. It should be borne in mind that coaching is helpful for a limited time period. In the long run, it is detrimental to the normal mental growth of the student.

There should be a sufficient number of counselors at any coaching institute so that the students can resolve their mental blocks and reservations. In this regard, the respective governments must play a proactive role in the interest of young students.

The government should prescribe certain guidelines regarding the upkeep of hostels by these big coaching institutes where a healthy environment is a priority. It should not be cluttered as pigeonholes. Moreover, recreational and sports facilities should be provided at any cost by the management of these institutes.

Conclusion

Student suicide is posing a big threat to the general welfare of students in India. The reasons are many, but the solutions are not far to find. The most significant aspect is the change in the mindset of Indian parents. Education is not mechanical calculation. It should be imparted to the liking of the students, particularly in higher studies. Forcing the student to adopt any technical or management course for which his mindset is not ready or tuned, the results can be dangerous for the whole family. For the students, facing depression is not easy and suicide is not uncommon. Further, the government's intervention is necessary in many fields ranging from bringing changes in the prevailing education system to regularizing the system of running coaching institutes. Appointment of counsellors is a step in the right direction which should be strictly ensured at the government level. The basic idea is that the students are the wealth of the nation, and they should be given every opportunity to bloom in their surroundings. 

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