18-year-old NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Kota, 19th such case this year

A student, who was preparing for medical entrance exams, died by suicide in Kota city of Rajasthan. The deceased has been identified as Manjot Singh and he was from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur.

The 18-year-old had arrived in Kota earlier this year and enrolled with a coaching centre to prepare for NEET. On Thursday morning, his body was found hanging from a fan in his hostel room, India Today reported.

The incident yet again brings to the limelight the rising cases of suicide as at least 19 deaths have been reported in Kota this year, including this one. Students from across the country flock to Kota every year to prepare for competitive exams in order to get entry into the best engineering and medical colleges of the country.

The city, over the last few years, has become a subject of discussion, for students dying by suicide due to various factors like stress or disappointment over failure. According to several reports, about 15 cases of suicide by students were registered in Kota in 2022.

A 17-year-old student preparing for the IIT entrance exam in Kota was found dead last month. The police officials found the boy hanging from the fan in his hostel room after being informed about the incident.

Moreover, as many as five students died by suicide in Kota in May alone.

More than 2.25 lakh students are estimated to be taking classes in various coaching centres in the city this academic session to crack entrance exams of medical and engineering colleges.

Parents of the students told India Today that students are not being properly counselled to deal with stress caused by the competitive environment where every student is expected to make it and struggle with the task.

Also Watch: Canada PM Justin Trudeau announces separation from his wife Sophie; Know more about the power couple and their 18-year marriage