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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
NEET student dies by suicide in Sikar; 18th this year in Rajasthan
Jaipur: A 20-year-old student preparing for the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) to get admission to any undergraduate medical course died by suicide on Saturday night in Rajasthan's Sikar, said officials. This takes the toll of such cases to 18 this year across the state- 16 of them in Kota and one each in Sikar and Jodhpur. NEET student dies by suicide in Sikar; 18th this year in Rajasthan According to police, the victim, a native of Rajasthan's Balotra, took admission to a reputed coaching centre in Sikar only three days ago. 'He had been staying in a hostel in the district's Udhyog Nagar area. On Saturday, he died by suicide in his room,' said the sub inspector (SI) of Udhyog Nagar police station, Rohitansh Kumar. 'His friends knocked on the door late at night. When he did not respond, the hostel authority broke open the door and found him dead,' the SI added. 'Prima facie, he went to the coaching centre only on Friday. No suicide note was recovered. The body was sent for an autopsy. His family was also informed. Further probe is underway,' he said. Kumar also said that officials are probing why an anti-hanging device was not installed in the room. Amid a surge in suicide cases in Kota and Sikar, where students from all over the country arrive in huge numbers after completing Class 10 to prepare for various competitive exams — including JEE and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG for admission to medical courses —, the state government in September 2023 issued several guidelines for hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations, including installation of spring-loaded fans in rooms 'to provide students mental support and security'. (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290)
Scroll.in
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
‘Why are they dying only in Kota?': Supreme Court criticises Rajasthan over rise in student suicides
The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Rajasthan government over the rising number of cases of students dying by suicide in Kota, calling the situation serious, PTI reported. At least 14 cases have been reported so far this year, the state's counsel told the court. The court questioned why the deaths had taken place. The bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted that the Supreme Court-appointed task force would need time to submit a full report. 'What are you doing as a state?' Pardiwala asked. 'Why are these children dying by suicide and only in Kota? Have you not given it a thought as a state?' The counsel for Rajasthan said that a special investigation team had been set up to investigate the cases. Kota is home to scores of coaching classes for engineering, medical and civil services exams that attract lakhs of students every year. The bench also mentioned the case of a National Entrance Eligibility Test aspirant found dead at home in Kota, and accused the state of contempt for failing to file a first information report, PTI reported. The court said that despite the student residing with her parents since November 2024, instead of the institute's accommodation, the police were obligated to file the case. 'It was the duty of the police concerned to register the FIR and carry out the investigation,' the court was quoted as saying by the news agency. 'The officer in-charge of the concerned territorial police station has failed in his duty. He has not complied with the directions issued by this court.' The Supreme Court was hearing a case about the death of a 22-year-old student at the Indian Institute of Technology in West Bengal's Kharagpur on May 4. Besides criticising the government about the rising cases of suicide in Rajasthan, the court also criticised the police in West Bengal for a four-day delay in filing a first information report in the IIT case. The court was informed that IIT had alerted the police after discovering the alleged death by suicide, but it found the explanations from the institute's counsel and the police unconvincing. The bench cautioned the authorities that it could have taken strict action, including initiating contempt proceedings against the officer in charge of the matter, but chose not to, given that a case had been lodged and a probe was underway. On May 6, the Supreme Court bench had directed the police in Rajasthan and West Bengal to report whether FIRs had been filed in both cases, the Hindustan Times reported.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
SC pulls up police for not filing FIR in Kota student's suicide case
The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Kota Police for not registering a first information report (FIR) in the suicide case of a National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) last month, said officials, while directing the police to take up the matter with top level administrator. The additional advocate general of Rajasthan government, Shiv Mangal Sharma, said, 'The apex court on Friday summoned the concerned police officials and questioned them over not following the necessary directive of filing an FIR in the suicide cases. The court expressed also expressed a deep concern over the rising number of suicide cases of the coaching students in Kota.' 'Hence, the Supreme Court has come down heavily on the Kota Police for its failure to register an FIR in the recent suicide of a NEET aspirant in Rajasthan's coaching hub and registering only the inquest against the dictum of Supreme Court in Amir Kumar Case Judgment,' he added. Also Read:'ED crossing all limits': SC stays TN probe Appearing on behalf of Rajasthan, AAG Sharma, meanwhile, assured the Court that the Kota police has already registered the Inquest and conducting investigation and an FIR would also be registered immediately in the case. 'We have also informed the division bench presided over by the Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is already in place constituted by the state government to investigate all cases of unnatural student deaths and suicides in Rajasthan so to take these issues seriously,' said Sharma, 'however, the court directed to take up the matter with the top level administration.' According to police, the 17-year-old student, who died by suicide on May 3, was a native of Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur but had been staying in Kota with his family at their own residence for the last few years. This was the 14th such case in Kota while a total of 15 students preparing for NEET or JEE died by suicide in the city this year so far. 'She had been staying with his parents and a younger brother. The victim was also preparing for NEET at a prominent coaching centre of the city. She was also all set to take the exam next day,' said Arvind Bharadwaj, the station house officer of Kunadi police station. The incident happened when she was preparing for his final NEET exam at the second floor of the residence while his family members were downstairs. 'At around 10pm, her father went upstairs to check on her and found her body. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead,' said Bharadwaj. The officer said that no suicide note was also recovered from the victim while the body was sent for an autopsy at night. 'However, we usually take a complaint under 194 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in such suicide cases which has been done in this particular case as well. But no FIR was lodged. The family didn't push for one either,' said Bharadwaj. Meanwhile, on May 6, the Supreme Court bench asked the Rajasthan police and West Bengal police to inform whether any FIR was lodged in the suicide cases by the NEET student in Kota and another engineering student in IIT Kharagpur. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the coaching institute of Kota, submitted a detailed report of the case on Friday. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290
Hindustan Times
22-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Student preparing for NEET found dead in Kota
An 18-year-old student preparing for the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate engineering courses was found dead in his hostel room in Kota on Tuesday, taking the number of such cases to 12 in Rajasthan's coaching hub this year. Last year, 20 students died by suicide there. Arvind Singh Bharadwaj, a local police officer, said the 18-year-old was from Bihar's Chhapra and arrived in Kota a year ago. 'On Tuesday morning, he hung himself from the ceiling fan of his hostel room,' said Bharadwaj. He added a note recovered from his hostel room said neither NEET pressure nor his family should be held responsible. Bharadwaj said the rest of the details cannot be shared without his family's permission. '...it seems to be personal.' Kota is the hub of India's test preparation business, estimated to be worth ₹10,000 crore annually. Students from around the country arrive there in numbers after completing class X and register in residential institutes, besides enrolling in schools, largely for certification purposes. According to police data, 15 students died by suicide in Kota in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015. No suicides were reported in 2020 and 2021 as coaching institutes were shut or ran in online mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In January 2024, the Union education minister issued instructions for the functioning of coaching centres and restricted the enrolment of students only above 16. It warned of a penalty of ₹1,00,000 for institutes in case of any violation. A bill for regulating coaching centres was tabled in the Rajasthan assembly in March.
