An 18-year-old boy, who arrived in Rajasthan's Kota to prepare for JEE Mains for admission into the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), reportedly died by suicide on Tuesday night. This has pushed up the number of student suicides in the education hub to 22 this year and the fourth such case this month.
The boy, identified as Valmiki Jangid from Bihar’s Gaya, was staying at Kota’s Mahavir Nagar area since last year, according to a report by India Today. He was studying in a coaching institute to prepare for the JEE Mains examination.
A few days back, another student identified as Manish Prajapat, had died by suicide. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, the boy was also preparing for JEE at a private coaching institute in Kota. No suicide note was found at the scene, as per the police.
The number of suicide cases have been on a rise in the education hub, gaining the attention of top leaders in the country.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who was at the inauguration ceremony of the state-level 'Yuva Mahapanchayat' in Jaipur last Saturday, expressed concern over rising cases of suicide by students in Kota.
Gehlot said that in the last eight months, 20 students have died by suicide which is a matter of concern for us and urged parents not to put pressure on their children for a particular stream or a college, news agency ANI reported.
Citing his own experiences, Gehlot described how, as a child, he aspired to be a doctor and used to study late at night but when he didn't get success, he didn't lose hope and eventually chose a different path that led him to become a social worker and politician.
"It is a matter of concern that 20 students committed suicide in the last eight months in Kota. I myself wanted to become a doctor in my childhood, used to study till 2-3 in the night, but did not succeed. However, I did not lose courage. I changed my path, became a social worker, entered politics and today I am in front of you," he said.
BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi, too, had on August 8 expressed concern over increasing cases of suicides among students.
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